Slide Insurance Holdings, Inc. (SLDE) Risk Factors
This page reproduces the company's own Item 1A Risk Factors text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Informational only - not investment advice. See Disclaimer.
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Our business is subject to a number of risks, including those described below, which could have a material effect on our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity and could cause our operating results to vary significantly from period to period.
Risks Relating to Our Business
We have a limited operating history, and our business and future prospects are difficult to evaluate.
We began operations in March 2021 and wrote our first policy on March 1, 2022. We expect to make significant investments to further develop and expand our business. In particular, we expect to continue to expend financial and other resources on marketing and advertising as part of our strategy to increase our customer base, which can result in expenses that exceed the related revenue generated in any given year. In addition, we expect to continue to increase our headcount significantly in the coming years. We may generate a net loss in the near term as we continue to make such investments to grow our business. Despite these investments, we may not succeed in increasing our revenue on the timeline that we expect or in an amount sufficient to lower a net loss or maintain profitable operations. Moreover, if our revenue declines, we may not be able to reduce costs in a timely manner because many of our costs are fixed at least in the short term. In addition, if we reduce variable costs to respond to losses, this may limit our ability to sign up new customers and grow our revenues. The foregoing factors could materially and adversely affect our profitability.
In addition, a substantial portion of our historical revenue has been generated from policies assumed from Citizens Property Insurance Corporation (“Citizens”), created by the Florida legislature in 2002 as not-for-profit, tax-exempt, government entity to provide property insurance to eligible Florida property owners unable to find insurance coverage in the private market, as well as our acquisition of policies from several Florida insurance companies and subsequent renewals of these policies. Our ability to participate in this program is subject to a variety of factors, including continuation of the program. There can be no assurance that Citizens will decide to continue the depopulation program for a significant period of time, or at all. Part of our ability to grow our premium base may depend upon the availability of future policy assumptions and acquisitions upon acceptable terms. We cannot provide assurance that such opportunities will increase in the future.
Our success and ability to grow our business depends on retaining and expanding our customer base. If we fail to add new customers or retain current customers, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed.
We believe that the growth of our business and revenues depends upon our ability to retain our existing customers and add new customers in our current geographic markets and in the markets in which we expand. While we have experienced significant customer growth since we commenced operations, we may not be able to maintain this growth and our customer base could shrink over time. Our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers depends on our ability to continue providing positive insurance-buying and claims-filing customer experiences, competitive pricing and adequate insurance coverage. In order to maintain this reputation, we may be required to incur significantly higher marketing expenses, costs related to improving our service, and lower margins in order to attract new customers and retain existing customers. If we fail to remain competitive on customer experience, pricing and insurance coverage options, our ability to grow our business and generate revenue by attracting and retaining customers may be adversely affected.
There are many factors that could negatively affect our ability to grow our customer base, including but not limited to if:
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potential customers in a particular marketplace generally do not meet our underwriting guidelines;
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we lose customers to new market entrants and/or existing competitors;
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we do not obtain regulatory approvals necessary for expansion into new markets or in relation to our products (such as line, form, underwriting and rating approvals) or such approvals contain conditions that impose restrictions on our operations (such as limitations on growth);
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we suffer reputational harm to our brand resulting from negative publicity, whether accurate or inaccurate;
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we fail to offer competitive products;
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Business disruptions, technical or other problems frustrate the customer experience or other processes;
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we are unable to address customer concerns;
If we fail to overcome these potential challenges, they could impair our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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The “Slide” brand may not become as widely known as incumbents’ brands or the brand may become tarnished.
Many of our competitors have brands that are well recognized. As a relatively new entrant into the insurance market, we have spent considerable money and other resources to create brand awareness and build our reputation.
We may not be able to build additional brand awareness, and our efforts at building, maintaining and enhancing our reputation could fail. There are many factors that, whether valid or not, could diminish confidence in our brand, which could adversely affect our reputation, business, results of operations and financial condition, including, but not limited to:
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complaints or negative publicity about our business practices;
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our marketing and advertising campaigns;
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our compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
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the integrity of the data that we provide to customers or business partners;
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data privacy and security issues;
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business practices or adverse financial developments;
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perceptions of our corporate governance or social responsibility;
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the conduct of our officers or employees;
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the actions of a significant customer or other business with which we do business; or
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other aspects of our business.
As we expand our product offerings and enter new markets, we must continue to establish our reputation in an expanded marketplace, and to the extent we are not successful in this endeavor, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected. There can be no assurance that we will be able to maintain or enhance our reputation, and failure to do so could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. If we are unable to maintain or enhance consumer awareness of our brand cost-effectively, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
The negative impacts of these or other events may be aggravated as consumers and other stakeholders increase their expectations regarding corporate conduct and responsibility. These impacts may be further complicated by the fact that their perceptions are formed through rapid and broad interactions using modern communication and social media tools over which we have no control. Any such event could decrease demand for our products, reduce our ability to recruit and retain employees and lead to greater regulatory scrutiny of our businesses.
A failure to establish accurate reserves, a failure to adjust claims accurately, the denial of claims or our failure to accurately and timely pay claims could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We must accurately and timely evaluate and pay claims that are made under our policies, including establishing accurate reserves. Many factors affect our ability to pay claims accurately and timely and establish accurate reserves, including, but not limited to, the efficacy of our claims processing software, the training and experience of our claims adjusters and third-party claims administrators and our ability to develop or select and implement appropriate procedures and systems to support our claims functions.
The speed by which we process and pay claims is a differentiating factor for our business and an increase in the average time to process claims could undermine our reputation and position in the insurance marketplace.
Any failure to pay claims accurately or timely, whether or not such allegations are accurate, could also lead to regulatory and administrative actions or material litigation, or result in damage to our reputation, any one of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If our claims adjusters or third-party claims administrators are unable to effectively process our volume of our customers’ claims, our ability to grow our business while maintaining high levels of customer satisfaction could be compromised, which in turn, could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Our actual incurred losses may be greater than our loss and loss adjustment expense reserves, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our financial condition and results of operations depend on our ability to accurately assess potential losses and loss adjustment expenses under the terms of the policies we underwrite. Reserves do not represent an exact calculation of liability. Rather, reserves represent an estimate of what the expected ultimate settlement and administration of claims will cost, and the ultimate liability may be greater or less than the current estimate. In our industry, there is always the risk that reserves may prove inadequate as it is possible for us to underestimate the cost of claims and claims administration. We regularly monitor and evaluate loss and loss adjustment expense reserve development to determine reserve adequacy.
If any of our insurance reserves should prove to be inadequate for the reasons discussed above, or for any other reason, we would be required to increase reserves, which may negatively affect our net income and shareholders’ equity in the period in which the deficiency is identified. Future loss experience substantially in excess of established reserves could also have a material adverse effect on future earnings and liquidity and financial rating, which would affect our ability to attract new business or to retain existing customers. Ultimately, losses may vary materially from current loss reserves which could have a material, adverse effect on our future financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our success depends on our ability to accurately price the risks we underwrite.
Our results of operations and financial condition depend on our ability to underwrite and set premium rates accurately for a wide variety of risks. Rate adequacy is necessary to generate sufficient premiums to pay losses, loss adjustment expenses, reinsurance costs and underwriting expenses and to earn a profit. Our ability to successfully perform these tasks, and as a result price our products accurately, is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are outside our control, including, but not limited to:
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the availability of sufficient reliable data and our ability to properly analyze available data;
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regulatory delays in approving filed rate changes;
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the uncertainties that inherently characterize estimates and assumptions;
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our selection and application of appropriate rating and pricing techniques;
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changes in legal standards, claim resolution practices and restoration costs; and
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legislatively imposed consumer initiatives.
In addition, we could underprice risks, which would negatively affect our profit margins. We could also overprice risks, which could reduce the number of policies we write and our competitiveness. In either event, our profitability could be materially and adversely affected.
Our ability to compete in the property and casualty insurance industry and our ability to expand our business is partially dependent on us maintaining our ratings
SIC and SSIC currently have a Financial Stability Rating (“FSR”) of A, Exceptional from Demotech, Inc. (“Demotech”), a financial analysis firm that provides FSRs and consulting services for property and casualty insurance companies and title underwriters. Demotech provides financial stability ratings to insurance companies of all sizes. When providing a rating, Demotech evaluates total assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses, working capital, administrative expenses, net income, surplus, receivables, amount of business written, industry focus and business model, among others. Below is Demotech’s rating scale:
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A” (A Double Prime), Unsurpassed: 100% of insurers with this rating are expected to have a positive surplus at least 18 months from the initial date of rating assignment;
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A’ (A Prime), Unsurpassed: 99% of insurers with this rating are expected to have a positive surplus at least 18 months from the initial date of rating assignment;
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A, Exceptional: 97% of insurers with this rating are expected to have a positive surplus at least 18 months from the initial date of rating assignment;
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S, Substantial: 95% of insurers with this rating are expected to have a positive surplus at least 18 months from the initial date of rating assignment;
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M, Moderate: 90% of insurers with this rating are expected to have a positive surplus at least 18 months from the initial date of rating assignment; and
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L, Licensed: These companies have been assessed but have not been given one of the financial strength ratings listed above.
While our Demotech rating has proved satisfactory to date, we cannot assure that this rating will remain at its current level. Furthermore, we do not currently have a rating from AM Best Company, a U.S.-based credit rating agency (“AM Best”). It is possible that some prospective customers may be reluctant to do business with a company that is not rated by AM Best and not having an AM Best rating may prevent us from expanding our business or limit our access to credit from certain financial institutions, which may in turn limit our ability to compete with large, national insurance companies and certain regional insurance companies.
We may pursue opportunities to participate in Citizens’ take-out program and directly assume policies issued by Citizens to policyholders who were otherwise unable to obtain private insurance. Take-out opportunities are subject to a number of timing and execution risks, and we may fail to participate in Citizens’ take-out programs on terms that are ultimately profitable to us, or at all. If we are unable to expand our product offerings, our prospects for future growth may be adversely affected.
Our ability to attract and retain customers and therefore increase our revenue may depend, in part, on our ability to successfully expand our product offerings. We have historically concentrated our efforts on homeowners and, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2024, commercial residential insurance markets in order to achieve our long-term goals. Our success in the homeowners and commercial residential insurance market depends on our deep understanding of this industry. Developing this level of understanding in other markets may require substantial investments of time and resources, and we may not be successful. In addition to the need for substantial resources, insurance regulation could limit our ability to introduce new product offerings. Additionally, any new insurance products could take time to be approved by regulatory authorities or may not be approved at all. If we fail to penetrate new vertical markets successfully, our revenue may grow at a slower rate than we anticipate and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected. In addition, our decision to expand our insurance product offerings beyond the homeowners and commercial residential insurance market would subject us to additional regulatory requirements specific to such insurance products, which, in turn, could require us to incur additional costs or devote additional resources to compliance.
Competition in the segments of the insurance industry in which we operate could negatively affect our ability to attain or increase profitability.
The homeowners and commercial residential insurance markets, particularly in Florida and South Carolina where we currently operate as an admitted carrier, are highly competitive. Some of our competitors have substantially greater financial resources, higher financial ratings, greater name recognition, broader access to capital, more extensive agency networks, and the ability to offer bundled products. These competitors may have some significant advantages over us, and as we pursue expansion into additional states, potentially on both admitted and non-admitted bases, we expect to face competition from established insurers already operating in those markets. Moreover, as we introduce new insurance products or lines of business beyond our current homeowners and commercial residential focus, we expect to encounter competition from carriers with established positions in those areas, and any such new products may require months for regulatory approval or may not be approved at all.
We also face emerging competition from technology-driven companies and entrants that have begun operating in adjacent insurance categories and may expand into homeowners and commercial residential products, potentially offering more competitive pricing, innovative distribution, or advanced claims processing capabilities that could erode any advantages we have developed through our technology platform. Traditional insurers may similarly adapt by incorporating similar technologies, leveraging their greater scale and resources to further intensify competition. There can be no assurance that we will continue to compete successfully in the jurisdictions where we operate or into which we may expand. Increased competition could lead to pricing pressure, reduced premium adequacy, challenges in retaining existing business or underwriting new policies on favorable terms, shifts in supply and demand dynamics, or difficulties in maintaining relationships with customers, agents, and other third-party partners. Any failure to compete effectively could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Reinsurance may be unavailable at current levels and prices, which may limit our ability to write new business. Furthermore, reinsurance subjects us to counterparty risk and may not be adequate to protect us against losses, which could have a material effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on reinsurance to manage our exposure to property and casualty risks, particularly catastrophic events such as hurricanes in Florida, where we conduct a significant portion of our business. Reinsurance does not relieve us of our primary
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liability to policyholders for covered losses, and we remain obligated to pay claims even if our reinsurers fail to perform. As a result, we are exposed to counterparty credit risk, including the possibilities that one or more reinsurers become financially impaired, are unable or unwilling to pay claims timely or at all, dispute coverage under the treaties, or experience downgrades in financial strength ratings. Disputes with reinsurers can be lengthy, expensive, and uncertain in outcome. Our reinsurance treaties are subject to fixed terms, liability caps, reinstatement provisions, and severable liability among reinsurers. Certain treaties may not extend to mandatory renewals of policies under state law or may not provide coverage for non-cancellable or non-renewable policies in a way that fully protects us. As of June 1, 2025, our program included substantial coverage in first-event private catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance with specified reinstatement limits, Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund coverage, multiple layers of excess per risk and facultative reinsurance for homeowners and commercial residential policies, and collateralized arrangements through our captive reinsurer. All rated reinsurers maintain A.M. Best ratings of "A-" or better, and we have contractual rights to replace any reinsurer whose rating falls below this threshold, though replacement could involve significant additional costs.
As of June 1, 2025, we had:
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approximately $1.52 billion in first-event private catastrophe excess of loss reinsurance, which provides protection for a 1-in-143-year first-event loss as of September 30, 2025; of this approximately $1.52 billion limit, $588 million reinstates one time and 70% of $50 million reinstates two times;
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FHCF reinsurance, which provides SIC coverage for a catastrophe occurrence where losses exceed $557 million. The coverage provided is 90% of losses, up to a $943.1 million limit, in excess of the $557 million triggering threshold. This reinsurance coverage does not reinstate after a triggering event;
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“excess per risk” reinsurance coverage provides four layers of excess coverage for homeowners. The first excess layer provides $300,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of SIC’s “per risk” retention limit of $700,000 for any loss occurrence excluding a Named Wind occurrence. The second excess layer provides $1,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of $1,000,000 “per risk” retention. The third excess layer provides $1,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of $2,000,000 “per risk” retention. The fourth excess layer provides $2,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of $3,000,000 “per risk” retention. This agreement provides for unlimited reinstatements for the first excess layer, four reinstatements for the second excess layer, two reinstatements for the third excess layer, and one reinstatement for the fourth excess layer during the treaty period. Reinsurance coverage provides three layers of excess coverage for commercial residential. The first excess layer provides $1,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of SIC’s “per risk” retention limit of $1,000,000 for any loss occurrence excluding a Named Wind occurrence. The second excess layer provides $3,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of $2,000,000 “per risk” retention. The third excess layer provides $5,000,000 limit of loss coverage in excess of $5,000,000 “per risk” retention; and
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“facultative” reinsurance coverage provides coverage above the “excess per risk” agreement of $7 million limit of loss coverage in excess of $5 million “per risk” for any loss occurrence excluding a Named Wind occurrence for homeowners. Reinsurance coverage provides coverage above the “excess per risk” agreement of $50 million limit of loss coverage in excess of $10 million “per risk” for any loss occurrence excluding a Named Wind occurrence for commercial residential.
The availability, cost, and terms of reinsurance are subject to market conditions and factors beyond our control, including prior catastrophe losses, changes in capital market capacity, regulatory developments, and perceived risk in high-exposure areas like Florida. Our current catastrophe reinsurance agreements excluding catastrophe bonds expire on May 31, 2026, with catastrophe bonds maturing between April 24, 2026, and June 1, 2028; other agreements are continuous or expire on specified dates such as November 1, 2026. We may be unable to renew or replace expiring treaties on comparable terms, limits, or pricing, or at all, which could force us to retain more risk, reduce underwriting volume, or incur higher reinsurance costs that pressure profitability until premium rates can be adjusted, subject to regulatory approval. If reinsurance becomes unavailable or unaffordable at acceptable levels, we may face increased net retained exposures to catastrophes or other losses, potentially leading to greater volatility in results, reduced capacity to write new or renewal business, or a downgrade in our financial stability rating, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, and ability to continue as a going concern. We may also alter our reinsurance structure in the future, which could impact our overall risk profile and capital position.
Failure to maintain our risk-based capital at the required levels could adversely affect the ability of SIC and SSIC to maintain regulatory authority to conduct our business.
We are required to have sufficient capital and surplus in order to comply with insurance regulatory requirements, support our business operations and minimize our risk of insolvency. Failure to maintain adequate risk-based capital at the required levels
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could result in increasingly onerous reporting and examination requirements and could adversely affect our ability to maintain regulatory authority to conduct our business.
Failure to maintain our financial strength ratings could adversely affect SIC's and SSIC's competitive position in the insurance industry and its ability to conduct our business as currently conducted.
Financial strength ratings are an important factor in evaluating and establishing the competitive position of insurance companies. These ratings represent the independent opinion of an insurer’s financial strength, operating performance and ability to meet policyholder obligations. Higher ratings generally indicate greater financial stability and a stronger ability to meet ongoing obligations to policyholders. Rating agencies could downgrade or change the outlook on ratings due to:
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changes in the financial profile of one of our insurance companies;
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changes in a rating agency’s determination of the amount of capital required to maintain a particular rating; or
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increases in the perceived risk of our investment portfolio, a reduced confidence in management or our business strategy, or other considerations that may or may not be under our control.
A downgrade in our financial strength ratings, such as those provided by Demotech, Inc., could materially and adversely affect our business. Such a downgrade may reduce our competitiveness in the marketplace, impair our ability to attract new customers or retain existing policyholders, limit the marketability of our insurance products, decrease sales volumes, and increase the cost or restrict our access to capital markets and other sources of liquidity, including borrowings. In addition, a significant downgrade could trigger regulatory scrutiny or intervention, potentially leading to supervision, rehabilitation, or liquidation proceedings for our insurance carrier subsidiary, which would have a severe adverse impact on our results of operations, financial condition, and ability to continue as a going concern.
The establishment and maintenance of adequate premium rates are critical to our profitability, yet involve significant uncertainties and risks. Premiums are set at policy inception, before all underlying costs are fully known, and we rely on estimates, actuarial projections, historical data including customer interactions analyzed through our proprietary technology, competitive assessments, and assumptions regarding future trends in loss frequency and severity, inflation, investment yields, and other factors to determine rates across multiple risk tiers and geographic markets. If we fail to accurately assess risks, collect and analyze sufficient reliable data, develop and apply appropriate pricing models, monitor emerging trends, or account for regulatory constraints, competitive dynamics, litigation outcomes, legislative changes, or other uncertainties, we may underprice policies and fail to generate sufficient revenue to cover losses, expenses, and other obligations, resulting in underwriting losses and erosion of capital. Conversely, overpricing could reduce our competitiveness, leading to lower new business production, higher non-renewal rates, and decreased premium volume. State insurance regulations may further limit our ability to non-renew policies, cancel coverage, or implement timely rate increases in response to adverse loss experience or changing conditions, potentially requiring us to retain unprofitable business or incur higher reinsurance or other costs. Any material inaccuracies in our pricing methodology or inability to adjust rates effectively could result in adverse selection, increased loss ratios, reduced profitability, and a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Retention of business written by our subsidiary could expose us to potential losses.
We retain risk for our own account on business underwritten by our insurance company subsidiary. The determination to reduce the amount of reinsurance we purchase, or not to purchase reinsurance for a particular risk, customer segment or niche is based on a variety of factors, including market conditions, pricing, availability of reinsurance, our capital levels and loss experience. Retention increases our financial exposure to losses and significant losses could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Our future success may be materially affected by our ability to continue to develop and implement our technology, and to maintain the confidentiality of this technology.
Our business is characterized by rapidly changing technologies and evolving industry standards. Our future success may depend, in part, on our ability to develop and offer new products with improved capabilities and to continue to enhance our existing products, which will require the investment of significant financial resources. We may not be able to successfully identify new opportunities and may not have the necessary financial resources to develop new products and services and technologies in a timely or cost-effective manner. Furthermore, the need to make these expenditures could divert our attention and resources from other projects, and we cannot be sure that these expenditures ultimately will lead to the timely development of new products and services or technologies.
Changes to existing regulations, their interpretation or implementation, or new regulations could impede our use of this technology, or require that we disclose our proprietary technology to our competitors, which could impair our competitive position and result in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on our digital platform to collect data points that we evaluate in pricing and underwriting our insurance policies, managing claims and customer support and improving business processes, and any legal or regulatory requirements that restrict our ability to collect this data could thus materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We use our digital platform to collect data that we evaluate in pricing and underwriting our insurance policies, managing claims and customer support and improving business processes. If federal, state or international regulators were to determine that the type of data we collect, the process we use for collecting this data or how we use it unfairly discriminates against some groups of people, laws and regulations could be interpreted or implemented to prohibit or restrict our collection or use of this data.
State regulators may issue regulations or pass legislation imposing requirements on the collection, use and disclosure of data, external data sources, algorithms and/or predictive models in insurance underwriting or rating, including to address concerns about the potential for unfair discrimination and lack of consumer transparency associated with the use of consumer data. If such laws or regulations were enacted federally or in a large number of states in which we operate, it could impact our business, including the integrity of our pricing and underwriting processes. A determination by federal or state regulators that the data points we collect and the process we use for collecting this data unfairly discriminates against some groups of people could also subject us to fines and other sanctions, including, but not limited to, disciplinary action, revocation and suspension of licenses and withdrawal of product forms. Any such event could, in turn, materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition, and make it harder for us to be profitable over time. Although we have implemented policies and procedures into our business operations that we feel are appropriately calibrated to our artificial intelligence and automation-driven operations, these policies and procedures may prove inadequate to manage our use of this nascent technology, resulting in a greater likelihood of inadvertent legal or compliance failures.
We undertake advertising campaigns and other efforts to improve brand recognition, generate new business and increase the retention of our current customers. If these campaigns or efforts are unsuccessful or are less effective than those of competitors, our business could be materially adversely affected.
We have developed, continue to develop and regularly undertake innovative approaches to advertising campaigns and other efforts that generate new business, improve brand recognition, build customer trust in our brand and maintain or increase the retention of our customers. We believe the effectiveness of our methodologies is particularly important given our direct-to-consumer distribution model and our customer-focused approach. If our marketing and retention approach became unsuccessful or our brand reputation was compromised, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
We depend, in part, on technology platforms to attract customers to our insurance products. If one or more of these technology platforms modifies its processes, changes its policies, terminates our relationship, or introduces changes that reduce the visibility or effectiveness of our advertisements, we could experience a significant decline in advertising reach, higher customer acquisition costs, or fewer conversions to policy sales. Additionally, widespread adoption of avoidance of advertising in multiple ways by consumers or regulatory changes that restrict data collection and targeted advertising practices by major platforms could diminish the reach and effectiveness of our advertising, forcing us to increase marketing expenditures or shift resources to less efficient channels. Any such developments could materially and adversely affect our ability to acquire customers, maintain or grow premium volume, and achieve profitable results.
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We also rely on relationships with business development partners and certain third-party distribution platforms to attract customers, as well as our own direct-to-consumer channels that leverage our underwriting technology to target profitable segments. If these partners increase their fees, terminate their relationships with us, or face regulatory restrictions that prevent them from distributing our insurance products in compliance with state insurance laws, our customer acquisition could be significantly impaired. Moreover, our expansion of direct marketing efforts may attract heightened scrutiny from state insurance regulators under laws prohibiting unfair methods of competition or deceptive acts or practices, potentially resulting in enforcement actions, fines, or limitations on our marketing activities. If we are unable to maintain effective customer acquisition channels or adapt to changes in digital platforms, partner relationships, or regulatory environments, our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.
We may require additional capital to grow our business, which may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all.
To the extent that our present capital is insufficient to meet future operating requirements (including regulatory capital requirements) or to cover losses, we may need to raise additional funds through financings or curtail our projected growth. Many factors will affect our capital needs as well as their amount and timing, including our growth and profitability, the availability of reinsurance, as well as market disruptions and other developments.
Historically, we have funded our operations, marketing expenditures and capital expenditures primarily through equity issuances and debt issuances. We evaluate financing opportunities from time to time, and our ability to obtain financing will depend, among other things, on our development efforts, business plans and operating performance and the condition of the capital markets at the time we seek financing. In addition, certain regulatory bodies may not permit additional equity issuances or other forms of financing that we may wish to pursue. We cannot be certain that additional financing will be available to us on favorable terms, or at all.
If we raise additional funds through the issuance of equity, equity-linked or debt securities, those securities may have rights, preferences or privileges senior to those of our common stock, and our existing stockholders may experience dilution. Any debt financing secured by us in the future could require that a substantial portion of our operating cash flow be devoted to the payment of interest and principal on such indebtedness, which may decrease available funds for other business activities, and could involve restrictive covenants relating to our capital-raising activities and other financial and operational matters, which may make it more difficult for us to obtain additional capital and to pursue business opportunities.
If we are unable to obtain adequate financing or financing on terms satisfactory to us, when we require it, our ability to continue to support our business growth, maintain minimum amounts of risk-based capital and to respond to business challenges could be adversely affected, and our business, results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We are periodically subject to examinations by our state insurance regulators, which could result in adverse examination findings and necessitate remedial actions.
As SIC is a Florida-domiciled insurer, our primary insurance regulator responsible for our supervision and examination is the FLOIR. Periodically, the FLOIR performs examinations of insurance companies under its jurisdiction to assess compliance with applicable laws and regulations, financial condition and the conduct of regulated activities. These examinations provide the FLOIR a significant opportunity to review and scrutinize our business. If, as a result of an examination, the FLOIR determines that our financial condition, capital resources or other aspects of any of our operations are less than satisfactory, or that we are in violation of applicable laws or regulations, the FLOIR may require us to take one or more remedial actions or otherwise subject us to regulatory scrutiny, such as pursuant to an enforcement action. We cannot necessarily predict with precision the likelihood, nature or extent of any necessary remedial actions, if any, resulting from such an examination, or the associated costs of such remedial actions or regulatory scrutiny. In addition, insurance regulators of other states in which we are licensed to operate may also conduct periodic financial examinations or other targeted investigations. Any regulatory or enforcement action or any regulatory order imposing remedial, injunctive or other corrective action against us resulting from these examinations could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on the experience and expertise of our Co-Founders, senior management team, highly specialized insurance experts, key technical employees and other highly skilled personnel.
Our success to date has depended heavily upon the service of Bruce Lucas, our co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, and Shannon Lucas, our co-founder, President and Chief Operating Officer (collectively with Mr. Lucas, our “Co-Founders”) our senior management team, highly specialized insurance experts and key technical employees. Our future success depends on our continuing ability to identify, hire, develop, motivate, retain and integrate highly skilled personnel for all areas of our organization. If we are unable to attract the requisite personnel, our business and prospects may be adversely affected. Each of
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our Co-Founders, executive officers, specialized insurance experts, key technical personnel and other employees could terminate his or her relationship with us at any time. The loss of either of our Co-Founders or any other member of our senior management team, specialized insurance experts or key personnel might significantly delay or prevent the achievement of our strategic business objectives and could harm our business. Competition in our industry for qualified employees is formidable . Our compensation arrangements, such as our equity award programs, may not always be successful in attracting new employees and retaining and motivating our existing employees. Moreover, if and when the stock options or other equity awards are substantially vested, employees under such equity arrangements may be more likely to leave, particularly when the underlying shares have seen a value appreciation.
We may also need to increase our employee compensation levels in response to competitor actions. If we are unable to hire new employees quickly enough to meet our needs, or otherwise fail to effectively manage our hiring needs or successfully integrate new hires, including, but not limited to, our recently hired management team members, our efficiency, ability to meet forecasts and our employee morale, productivity and retention could suffer, which in turn could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, we must forecast sales and claims volume and other factors in changing business environments with reasonable accuracy and adjust our hiring and training programs and employment levels accordingly. Our failure to recognize the need for such adjustments, or our failure or inability to react appropriately on a timely basis, could lead either to over- staffing or under-staffing in one or more business units. In either such event, our financial results, customer relationships, employee morale and brand could be materially adversely affected.
Our success also depends, in large part, on our ability to maintain and improve staffing effectiveness and the culture that we have developed over the years. Our ability to do so may be impaired as a result of litigation against us, other judicial decisions, legislation or regulations or other factors in the employment marketplace, as well as our failure to recognize and respond to changing trends and other circumstances that affect our employees. In such events, the productivity of our workers and the efficiency of our operations could be adversely affected, which could lead to an erosion of our operating performance and margins.
If our customers were to claim that the policies they purchased failed to provide adequate or appropriate coverage, we could face claims that could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Although we aim to provide adequate and appropriate coverage under each of our policies, customers could purchase policies that prove to be inadequate or inappropriate. If such customers were to bring a claim or claims alleging that we failed in our responsibilities to provide them with the type or amount of coverage that they sought to purchase, we could be found liable for amounts significantly in excess of the policy limit, potentially resulting in an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. While we maintain errors and omissions insurance coverage to protect us against such liability, such coverage may be insufficient or inadequate.
Misconduct or fraudulent acts by employees, agents or third parties may expose us to financial loss, disruption of business, regulatory assessments and reputational harm.
Our Company and the insurance industry are inherently susceptible to past and future misconduct or fraudulent activities by employees, representative agents, vendors, customers or other third parties. These activities could include fraud against the Company, its employees and its customers through illegal or prohibited activities, or unauthorized acts or representations, unauthorized use or disclosure of personal or proprietary information.
We may be unable to prevent, monitor or detect fraudulent activity, including policy acquisitions or payments of claims that are fraudulent in nature.
If we fail to maintain adequate systems and processes to prevent, monitor and detect fraud, including, but not limited to, employee fraud, fraudulent policy acquisitions, vendor fraud or fraudulent claims activity, or if inadvertent errors occur with such prevention, monitoring and detection systems due to human or computer error, business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. While we believe past incidents of fraudulent activity have been minor and isolated, we cannot be certain that our systems and processes will always be adequate in the face of increasingly sophisticated and ever-changing fraud schemes. We use a variety of tools to protect against fraud, but these tools may not always be successful at preventing such fraud.
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Our exposure to loss activity and regulation may be greater in states where we currently have most of our customers, including Florida.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, nearly all of the gross premiums written for SIC originated from customers in Florida. As a result of this concentration, if a significant catastrophe event or series of catastrophe events occur and causes material losses in Florida, our business, results of operations and financial condition could be materially adversely affected. Further, as compared to our competitors who operate on a wider geographic scale, any adverse changes in the regulatory environment affecting property and casualty insurance in Florida may expose us to more significant risks.
In addition, the geographic concentration of our policies in counties that border the Atlantic Ocean in Florida and South Carolina may increase the risk that our business is impacted by one or more catastrophes specific to these regions, such as hurricanes, winter storms, windstorms and hailstorms. In the event of such catastrophes, the laws and regulations of Florida and South Carolina, as well as of other states we may enter in the future, may restrict or prevent us from taking actions to reduce our exposure to losses related to such catastrophes. For example, we may be prevented from using non-renewals or cancellations to limit our exposure following a catastrophe, may be required to provide additional advance notice of non-renewals and cancellations, may be subject to rate change delays or limits or may be prevented from exiting a market that has become unprofitable.
Litigation and legal proceedings filed by or against us could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Litigation and other proceedings may include, but are not limited to, complaints from or litigation by customers or reinsurers, related to alleged breaches of contract or otherwise. As our market share increases, competitors may pursue litigation to require us to change our business practices or offerings and limit our ability to compete effectively. As is typical in the insurance industry, we continually face risks associated with litigation of various types arising in the normal course of our business operations, including disputes relating to insurance claims under our policies as well as other general commercial and corporate litigation. Although we are not currently involved in any material litigation with our customers, members of the insurance industry are often the target of class action lawsuits and other types of litigation, some of which involve claims for substantial amounts, and the outcomes of which are unpredictable. This litigation may be based on a variety of issues, including insurance and claim settlement practices. In addition, because we use sophisticated data collection and analysis technologies, it is possible that customers or consumer groups could bring individual or class action claims alleging that our methods of collecting data and pricing risk are impermissibly discriminatory. We cannot predict with any certainty whether we will be involved in such litigation in the future or what impact such litigation would have on our business. If we were to be involved in litigation and it was determined adversely, it could require us to pay significant damages or to change aspects of our operations, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial results. Even claims without merit can be time-consuming and costly to defend and may divert management’s attention and resources away from our business and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. Additionally, routine lawsuits over claims that are not individually material could in the future become material if aggregated with a substantial number of similar lawsuits. In addition to increasing costs, a significant volume of customer complaints or litigation could adversely affect our brand and reputation, regardless of whether such allegations are valid or whether we are liable. We cannot predict with certainty the costs of defense, the costs of prosecution, insurance coverage or the ultimate outcome of litigation or other proceedings filed by or against us, including remedies or damage awards, and adverse results in such litigation, and other proceedings, may harm our business and financial condition.
We are subject to risks related to online payment processing, including risks related to our third-party vendors.
We currently rely on a limited number of providers to provide payment processing services, including the processing of payments from credit cards and debit cards, and our business would be disrupted if such vendors become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us and we are unable to find suitable replacements on a timely basis. If we or our processing vendors fail to maintain adequate systems for the authorization and processing of credit card transactions, it could cause one or more of the major credit card companies to disallow our continued use of their payment products. In addition, if these systems fail to work properly and, as a result, we do not charge our customers’ credit cards on a timely basis or at all, our business, revenue, results of operations and financial condition could be harmed.
The payment methods that we offer also subject us to potential fraud and theft by criminals, who are becoming increasingly more sophisticated, seeking to obtain unauthorized access to or exploit weaknesses that may exist in the payment systems. In addition, we are subject to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”). PCI DSS is a specific set of comprehensive security standards imposed by payment card networks on companies that process credit card information, related to enhancing payment account information security, including, but not limited to, requirements for security management, policies, procedures and standards related to network architecture, software design and certification requirements. PCI DSS
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compliance is required in order to maintain credit card processing services and to provide our payment facilitation services. Additionally, we are also required to comply with payment card network operating rules, which are set and interpreted by the payment card networks. Payment card networks could adopt new operating rules or interpret or reinterpret existing rules in ways that might prohibit us from providing certain services to some consumers, be costly to implement or be difficult to follow. Moreover, compliance with PCI DSS does not guarantee a completely secure environment and, notwithstanding the results of a compliance assessment, there can be no assurance that payment card networks will not request further compliance assessments or set forth additional requirements binding on us to maintain access to credit card processing services. Compliance is an ongoing effort and the requirements evolve as new threats are identified. In the event that we were to lose PCI DSS compliance status (or fail to renew compliance under a future version of the PCI DSS), or if we fail to comply with applicable rules or requirements for the payment methods we accept, or if payment-related data are compromised due to a breach of data, we may be liable for significant costs incurred by payment card issuing banks and other third parties or subject to fines and higher transaction fees, or our ability to accept or facilitate certain types of payments may be impaired. In addition, our customers could lose confidence in certain payment types, which may result in a shift to other payment types or potential changes to our payment systems that may result in higher costs. If we fail to adequately control fraudulent credit card transactions, we may face civil liability, diminished public perception of our security measures and significantly higher credit card-related costs, each of which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Performance of our investment portfolio is subject to a variety of investment risks that may adversely affect our financial results.
Our results of operations are significantly influenced by the performance of our investment portfolio, which is diversified in accordance with our investment policy and overseen by the investment committee of our insurance carrier subsidiary. However, this portfolio is exposed to broad economic and market risks, including fluctuations in interest rates, equity prices, credit quality, and liquidity conditions, as well as risks specific to individual securities. Prolonged low interest rates could suppress our net investment income from fixed income securities and short-term investments, while rising interest rates, such as those implemented by the Federal Reserve to combat inflation, may decrease the fair value of our fixed income holdings, particularly those with longer durations, and increase borrowing costs under variable-rate facilities like our credit agreement. Fixed income securities with call or prepayment options may create reinvestment risks in declining rate environments, and mortgage-backed or asset-backed securities could experience altered prepayment speeds amid interest rate volatility. Equity investments are subject to market declines that could result in realized or unrealized losses. Any such interest rate or market volatility could materially and adversely affect our investment returns, liquidity, and overall financial condition.
Additionally, our portfolio faces credit risks from potential defaults or impairments due to issuer financial deterioration or guarantor insolvency, as well as credit rating downgrades that negatively impact security valuations. In illiquid markets, valuations become more subjective, increasing the likelihood that recorded fair values do not align with realizable transaction prices. Our third-party investment manager may encounter heightened scrutiny or restrictions related to environmental, social, and governance considerations, potentially imposing additional costs or constraining investment strategies. Although we manage these risks through guidelines on asset allocations, credit quality thresholds, and regulatory compliance, there is no assurance that our objectives will be met, and investment losses could coincide with underwriting losses, amplifying their impact. Failure to preserve capital or achieve targeted returns could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We expect our results of operations to fluctuate on a quarterly and annual basis. In addition, our operating results and operating metrics are subject to seasonality and volatility, which could result in fluctuations in our quarterly revenues and operating results or in perceptions of our business prospects.
Our revenue and results of operations could vary significantly from period to period and may fail to match expectations as a result of a variety of factors, some of which are outside of our control. Our results may vary as a result of fluctuations in the number of customers purchasing our insurance products and fluctuations in the timing and amount of our expenses. In addition, the insurance industry, and particularly homeowners and commercial residential insurance, are subject to their own cyclical trends and uncertainties, including extreme weather which is often seasonal and may result in volatility in claims reporting and payment patterns. Fluctuations and variability across the industry may affect our revenue. As a result of the potential variations in our revenue and results of operations, period-to-period comparisons may not be meaningful and the results of any one period should not be relied on as an indication of future performance. In addition, our results of operations may not meet the expectations of investors or public market analysts who follow us, which may adversely affect our stock price.
We may experience seasonal fluctuations in our revenues and resulting fluctuations in our rate of growth as a result of insurance spending patterns. Volatility in our key operating metrics or their rates of growth could have a negative impact on our
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financial results and investor perceptions of our business prospects and a failure to achieve our quarterly forecasts or to meet or exceed the expectations of research analysts or investors may cause our stock price to decline.
Our goal is to maximize the long-term value of the business; we do not manage to short-term earnings expectations, which at times may adversely affect short-term results.
We believe that stockholder value will be increased in the long run if we meet or exceed the financial goals and policies that we establish each year. We do not manage our business to maximize short-term stock performance. Due to our focus on the long-term value of the enterprise, we may undertake business strategies and establish related financial goals for a specific year that are designed to enhance our longer-term performance, while understanding that such strategies may not always similarly benefit short-term results. Consequently, these strategies may adversely affect short-term performance.
If actual renewals of our existing contracts do not meet expectations, our premiums written in future years and our future results of operations could be materially adversely affected.
Our insurance policies are written for a one-year term. We make assumptions about the renewal of our prior year’s contracts, including for purposes of determining the amount of reinsurance we purchase. If actual renewals do not meet expectations or if we choose not to write on a renewal basis because of pricing conditions, our premiums written in future years and our future operations would be materially adversely affected, and we may purchase reinsurance beyond what we believe is the most appropriate level.
We could be forced to sell investments to meet our liquidity requirements.
We invest the premiums we receive from our insureds until they are needed to pay policyholder claims. Consequently, we seek to manage the duration of our investment portfolio based on the duration of our losses and loss adjustment expenses reserves to ensure sufficient liquidity and avoid having to liquidate investments to fund claims. Risks such as inadequate losses and loss adjustment expenses reserves or unfavorable trends in litigation could potentially result in the need to sell investments to fund these liabilities. We may not be able to sell our investments at favorable prices or at all. Sales could result in significant realized losses depending on the conditions of the general market, interest rates and credit issues with individual securities.
We have debt outstanding that could adversely affect our financial flexibility and subjects us to restrictions and limitations that could significantly impact our ability to operate our business.
As of December 31, 2025, we had total consolidated debt outstanding of approximately $33.7 million. In the year ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had debt servicing costs of $2.8 million and $3.3 million, respectively, most of which was attributable to interest. The level of debt we have outstanding during any period could adversely affect our financial flexibility. We also bear risk at the time debt matures. Our ability to make interest and principal payments, to refinance our debt obligations and to fund our planned capital expenditures will depend on our ability to generate cash from operations. Our ability to generate cash from operations is, to a certain extent, subject to general economic, financial, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other factors that are beyond our control, such as an environment of rising interest rates. The need to service our indebtedness will also reduce our ability to use cash for other purposes, including working capital, dividends to stockholders, acquisitions, capital expenditures, share repurchases and general corporate purposes. If we cannot service our indebtedness, we may have to take actions such as selling assets, seeking additional equity or reducing or delaying capital expenditures, strategic acquisitions and investments, any of which could impede the implementation of our business strategy or prevent us from entering into transactions that would otherwise benefit our business. Additionally, we may not be able to affect such actions, if necessary, on favorable terms or at all. We may not be able to refinance any of our indebtedness on favorable terms, or at all.
On June 25, 2024, we entered into an amended and restated credit agreement with Regions Bank for a $10.0 million revolving credit facility, which was increased to $45.0 million pursuant to the accordion feature on March 20, 2025, a term loan in an aggregate principal amount of $40.0 million and one or more delayed draw term loans in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $125.0 million (together, the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility contains covenants that, among other things, restrict our ability to make certain restricted payments, incur additional debt, engage in certain asset sales, mergers, acquisitions or similar transactions, create liens on assets, engage in certain transactions with affiliates, change our business or make investments and require us to comply with certain financial covenants. The restrictions in the Credit Facility may prevent us from taking actions that we believe would be in the best interest of our business and our stockholders and may make it difficult for us to execute our business strategy successfully or effectively compete with companies that are not similarly restricted. We may also incur future debt obligations that might subject us to additional or more restrictive covenants that could affect our financial and operational flexibility, including our ability to pay dividends. We cannot make any assurances that we will be able to refinance our debt or obtain additional financing
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on terms acceptable to us, or at all. A failure to comply with the restrictions under the Credit Facility could result in a default under the financing obligations or could require us to obtain waivers from our lenders for failure to comply with these restrictions. The occurrence of a default that remains uncured or the inability to secure a necessary consent or waiver could cause our obligations with respect to our debt to be accelerated and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The failure of the risk mitigation strategies we utilize could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
We utilize a number of strategies to mitigate our risk exposure including, but not limited to:
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employing proper underwriting procedures;
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carefully evaluating the terms and conditions of our policies;
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geographic diversification; and
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ceding insurance risk to reinsurance companies.
However, there are inherent limitations in all of these tactics. No assurance can be given that an event or series of unanticipated events will not result in loss levels which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Our acquisitions may be difficult to integrate, divert management resources, result in unanticipated costs or dilute our stockholders.
Part of our continuing business strategy is to make acquisitions of, or investments in, companies, products or technologies that complement our current products, enhance our market coverage, technical capabilities or production capacity or offer growth opportunities. Acquisitions could pose numerous risks to our operations, including, but not limited to:
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we may have difficulty integrating the acquired operations, products, technologies or personnel;
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we may incur substantial unanticipated integration costs;
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assimilating the acquired businesses may divert significant management attention and financial resources from our other operations and could disrupt our ongoing business;
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acquisitions could result in the loss of key employees, particularly those of the acquired operations;
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we may have difficulty retaining or developing the acquired businesses’ customers;
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acquisitions could adversely affect our existing business relationships with suppliers and other third parties;
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we may fail to realize the potential cost savings or other financial benefits and/or the strategic benefits of the acquisitions; and
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we may incur liabilities from the acquired businesses for infringement, misappropriation or other violation of intellectual property rights or other claims, and we may not be successful in seeking indemnification for such liabilities or claims.
In connection with these acquisitions or investments, we could incur debt, amortization expenses related to intangible assets, large and immediate write-offs, assume liabilities or issue stock that would dilute our current stockholders’ percentage of ownership. We may not be able to complete acquisitions or integrate the operations, products, technologies or personnel gained through any such acquisition without a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Changes in accounting practices and future pronouncements may materially affect our reported financial results.
Developments in accounting practices may require us to incur considerable additional expenses to comply, particularly if we are required to prepare information relating to prior periods for comparative purposes or to apply the new requirements retroactively. The impact of changes in current accounting practices and future pronouncements cannot be predicted but may affect the calculation of net income, shareholders’ equity and other relevant financial statement line items.
Our insurance subsidiary is required to comply with statutory accounting principles (“SAP”). SAP and various components of SAP are subject to constant review by the NAIC and its task forces and committees, as well as state insurance departments, in
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an effort to address emerging issues and otherwise improve financial reporting. Various proposals are pending before committees and task forces of the NAIC, some of which, if enacted, could have negative effects on insurance industry participants. The NAIC continuously examines existing laws and regulations. We cannot predict whether or in what form such reforms will be enacted and, if so, whether the enacted reforms will positively or negatively affect us.
We rely on independent agents to write voluntary insurance policies, and our revenue could be impacted by our ability to attract and retain independent agents.
We must compete with other insurers for independent agents’ business. Our competitors may offer a greater variety of insurance products, lower premiums for insurance coverage, or higher commissions to their agents. If our products, pricing and commissions do not remain competitive, we may find it more difficult to attract business from independent agents to sell our products. A material reduction in the amount of our products that independent agents sell could negatively affect our revenues.
We may be subject to greater than anticipated tax liabilities, and any successful action by federal or state authorities to collect additional taxes could adversely harm our business.
Although we believe our tax estimates are reasonable, federal or state taxing authorities may challenge our tax positions upon audit or other proceeding with any governmental entity with respect to any taxes or tax returns. The final determination of any tax audit and any related litigation, proceeding, examination or investigation could be materially different from our historical tax provisions and accruals, and any successful action by federal or state authorities to impose or collect additional taxes, either retroactively, prospectively or both, could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
We may be adversely impacted by inflation.
Our operations, like those of other insurers, are susceptible to the effects of both economic and social inflation because premiums are established before the ultimate amounts of losses and loss adjustment expenses are known. Although we consider the potential effects of inflation when setting premium rates, our premiums may not fully offset the effects of inflation and may result in underpricing the risks we insure and reinsure. Our reserve for losses and loss adjustment expenses includes assumptions about future payments for settlement of claims and claims-handling expenses, such as the value of replacing property and associated labor costs for the property business we write and litigation costs. To the extent inflation causes costs to increase above reserves established for claims, we will be required to increase our loss reserves with a corresponding reduction in our net income in the period in which the deficiency is identified, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. Unanticipated higher inflation could also lead to higher interest rates, which would negatively impact the value of our fixed income securities and potentially other investments.
Risks Relating to Our Intellectual Property and Data Privacy
We are subject to cybersecurity risks, including cyber-attacks, security incidents or real or perceived errors, failures or bugs in our systems or website or our service providers’ systems, which could impair our operations, result in loss of personal customer information, damage our reputation and brand and harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business operations and customer interactions heavily depend on the continuous, reliable, and secure performance of our proprietary technology systems, website, applications, and software, which must evolve to meet changing customer needs. We rely on our internal technology and engineering teams, as well as third-party vendors and service providers, to develop, implement, maintain, and update these systems efficiently and securely. Despite our efforts, our systems are vulnerable to material errors, bugs, failures, vulnerabilities, or disruptions, particularly during the introduction of new features. These systems are also subject to a wide range of cybersecurity threats, including computer viruses, malware, ransomware, denial-of-service attacks, phishing, social engineering, credential stuffing, unauthorized access attempts, and other sophisticated attacks that may originate from criminal organizations, hacktivists, nation-state actors, or other sources. Techniques used in such attacks evolve rapidly, are often difficult to detect in advance, and may not be fully mitigated by our preventive measures, encryption, authentication technologies, employee training, or security protocols. Any successful or attempted breach, data leakage, system interruption, or compromise could result in the unauthorized access, disclosure, acquisition, alteration, or loss of confidential information, including personal data of customers such as names, addresses, phone numbers, payment information, or insurance quotes, as well as proprietary business information.
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Such incidents, whether originating from our systems or those of third-party service providers on which we rely, could cause prolonged website outages, delays in policy issuance, claims processing, customer service, or payments, loss of critical data, or reputational damage that erodes customer trust and leads to reduced website usage, policy non-renewals, or loss of new business. Cybersecurity breaches or system failures could also expose us to significant legal and regulatory risks, including litigation from affected customers or third parties, governmental investigations, enforcement actions, fines, penalties, compliance orders, and substantial remediation costs. Even perceived vulnerabilities, such as those highlighted by breaches at competitors or other companies, could deter potential customers from engaging with our digital platform. In addition, our critical business functions depend on uninterrupted access to internal systems and interfaces with third-party providers; disruptions from network failures, telecommunications outages, system malfunctions, natural disasters, epidemics, war, or vendor service interruptions could impair our ability to underwrite and process policies, resolve claims timely, or perform other essential operations. If alternate systems or vendors are not immediately available, sustained or repeated disruptions could materially and adversely affect our ability to conduct business, damage our brand and customer goodwill, and have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We collect, process, store, share, disclose and use information, including confidential information and personal data. Our actual or perceived failure to protect such data, respect customers’ privacy or comply with data privacy and security laws and regulations could negatively impact the business.
We collect, process, store, share, disclose, and use significant amounts of confidential information and personal data in connection with our insurance operations, including data related to employees, contractors, business partners, and current, former, or prospective customers. Our technology platform facilitates the storage and transmission of this information, and we depend on numerous third-party service providers, lead generation partners, and other vendors that process personal data on our behalf, supply us with data, or collaborate in our business activities. Although we conduct security assessments, due diligence, and enter into contractual arrangements requiring these third parties to process data only in accordance with our instructions and to maintain appropriate technical and organizational security measures, there is no assurance that these efforts, or our own data privacy and security safeguards, will fully protect personal data from unauthorized access, breaches, misuse, or other risks associated with third-party involvement. Any actual or perceived failure by us or our third parties to adequately protect data could result in unauthorized disclosure, loss, or compromise of personal information, leading to governmental investigations, enforcement actions, litigation, fines, penalties, reputational harm, loss of customer trust, and material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We are subject to a complex and evolving landscape of federal, state, and industry-specific laws and regulations governing the collection, processing, disclosure, security, and use of personal data and other information, including the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, and similar comprehensive privacy laws enacted or pending in numerous states such as Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee, Montana, Delaware, Oregon, Texas, and Florida. These laws impose obligations such as providing consumer rights to access, delete, correct, or opt out of certain uses and sharing of personal information, conducting risk assessments and cybersecurity audits, implementing data minimization and retention practices, and notifying affected individuals and regulators of data breaches. Certain exemptions may apply to information processed under specific insurance-related statutes, but broad definitions of personal information could encompass additional data we maintain. Rapidly changing state requirements, potential enactment of comprehensive federal privacy legislation, and overlapping or conflicting obligations create compliance complexity, increase operational costs, restrict data availability for marketing and underwriting, and may necessitate significant investments in systems, policies, and personnel. In the event of a data breach or perceived noncompliance with these laws, our privacy policies, contractual obligations to third parties, or industry-specific regulations overseen by bodies such as the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, we could face heightened regulatory scrutiny, enforcement actions, substantial fines and penalties, private litigation including class actions, mandatory corrective measures, and damage to our brand and customer relationships. Any such events, or even the costs and disruptions associated with ongoing compliance efforts, could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We rely on data from our customers and third parties for pricing and underwriting insurance policies, handling claims and maximizing automation, the unavailability or inaccuracy of which could limit the functionality of our products and disrupt our business.
We use data, technology and intellectual property licensed from unaffiliated third parties in certain products, including, for example, proprietary information that we license from LexisNexis Risk Solutions, Inc. (“LexisNexis”) and Verisk Analytics, Inc. (“Verisk”), and we may license additional third-party technology and intellectual property in the future. Any errors or defects in this third-party technology and intellectual property could result in errors that could harm our brand and business. In addition, licensed technology and intellectual property may not continue to be available on commercially reasonable terms, or at all. Also,
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should LexisNexis or Verisk refuse to license their proprietary information to us on the same terms that it offers to our competitors, we could be placed at a significant competitive disadvantage.
Further, although we believe that there are currently adequate replacements for the third-party technology and intellectual property we presently use other than proprietary information provided by LexisNexis or Verisk, the loss of our right to use any of this technology and intellectual property could result in delays in producing or delivering affected products until equivalent technology or intellectual property is identified, licensed or otherwise procured, and integrated. Our business would be disrupted if any technology and intellectual property we license from others or functional equivalents of this software were either no longer available to us or no longer offered to us on commercially reasonable terms. In either case, we would be required either to attempt to redesign our products to function with technology and intellectual property available from other parties or to develop these components ourselves, which would result in increased costs and could result in delays in product sales and the release of new product offerings. Alternatively, we might be forced to limit the features available in affected products. Any of these results could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
If we are unable to apply technology effectively in driving value for our clients through technology-based solutions or gain internal efficiencies and effective internal controls through the application of technology and related tools, our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs could be adversely affected.
Our future success may depend, in part, on our ability to anticipate and respond effectively to the threat of digital disruption and other technology change. We must also develop and implement technology solutions and technical expertise among our employees that anticipate and keep pace with rapid and continuing changes in technology, industry standards, client preferences and internal control standards. We may not be successful in anticipating or responding to these developments on a timely and cost-effective basis, and our ideas may not be accepted in the marketplace. Additionally, the effort to gain technological expertise and develop new technologies in our business requires us to incur significant expenses. If we cannot offer new technologies as quickly as our competitors, or if our competitors develop more cost-effective technologies or product offerings, we could experience a material adverse effect on our operating results, client relationships, growth and compliance programs.
In some cases, we depend, in part, on key vendors and partners to provide technology and other support for our strategic initiatives. If these third parties fail to perform their obligations or cease to work with us, our ability to execute on our strategic initiatives could be adversely affected.
Our use of artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and other similar tools may adversely impact our business and subject us to additional regulatory and other risks and possible litigation, including claims alleging unfair insuring practices arising from the use of such tools.
We utilize artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics and similar tools that collect, aggregate and analyze data, in connection with our business. The introduction of artificial intelligence tools into new or existing products may enhance or create legal, operational, regulatory and technological and related contractual risks, as the technologies underlying such tools and their use cases are subject to a variety of laws, regulations, orders and industry standards, including intellectual property, privacy, data protection and cybersecurity, consumer protection, competition, equal protection and equal opportunity laws. Regulation of artificial intelligence and machine learning is complex and rapidly evolving worldwide as legislators, regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and the FTC and consumer advocacy groups are increasingly focusing on these powerful emerging technologies. The laws and regulations applicable to our business and artificial intelligence are complex and subject to varying interpretations, with limited regulatory guidance at this time. It is not possible to predict all of the risks related to the use of artificial intelligence, and changes in laws, rules, directives and regulations governing artificial intelligence may adversely affect our ability to develop and use artificial intelligence or subject us to legal liability. Moreover, any changes in laws, regulations, orders and industry standards governing the use of artificial intelligence may be costly or impossible to comply with, and may result in claims, disputes, litigation or costs associated with any compliance failure or redesign of our platform or services to comply with such regulations.
There are significant risks involved in utilizing such tools, such as an increase in intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, data privacy, cybersecurity, operational and technological risks, harmful content, accuracy, bias, toxicity and discrimination, any of which could affect our further development, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, and may cause us to incur additional research and development costs to resolve such issues. No assurance can be provided that the usage of such tools will enhance our business or assist our business in being more efficient, or better at assessing insuring risk or profitability. Artificial intelligence tools may also have errors or inadequacies that are not easily detectable. For example, certain artificial intelligence tools may utilize historical performance, historical market or sector data in their analytics. To the extent that such historical data is not indicative of current or future conditions in the applicable market or sector, or such artificial intelligence
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fails to filter biases in the underlying data or collection methods, the usage of such tools may lead us to make determinations on behalf of our business that have an adverse effect. If artificial intelligence tools are incorrectly designed, or the data used to train them is incomplete, inadequate or biased in some way, our use of such tools may inadvertently reduce our efficiency or cause unintentional or unexpected outputs that are incorrect, do not match our business goals, do not comply with our policies or interfere with the performance of our services or platform, our business and our reputation. Additionally, our reliance on artificial intelligence and similar tools could pose ethical concerns, which could have negative implications for our organization. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect our ability to utilize artificial intelligence as part of our business, which in turn may adversely affect our operational capacity and ability to attract and maintain consumers.
Risks Relating to the Insurance Industry
The insurance business, including the market for homeowners and commercial residential insurance, is historically cyclical in nature, currently experiencing high demand and low supply, and we may experience periods with excess underwriting capacity and unfavorable premium rates, which could adversely affect our business.
Historically, insurers have experienced significant fluctuations in operating results due to competition, frequency and severity of catastrophic events, levels of capacity, adverse litigation trends, regulatory constraints, volatility in investment results, general economic conditions and other factors. The supply of insurance is related to prevailing prices, the level of insured losses and the level of capital available to the industry that, in turn, may fluctuate in response to changes in rates of return on investments being earned in the insurance industry. As a result, the insurance business historically has been a cyclical industry characterized by periods of intense price competition due to excessive underwriting capacity as well as periods when shortages of capacity increased premium levels. Currently, we believe the market for homeowners and commercial residential insurance is experiencing high demand and low supply, partially as a result of recent regulatory developments in the Florida homeowners and commercial residential insurance market, which has resulted in restricted capital and restricted capacity in the market. Demand for insurance depends on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the frequency and severity of catastrophic events, levels of capacity, the introduction of new capital providers and general economic conditions. All of these factors fluctuate and may contribute to price declines generally in the insurance industry.
We cannot predict with certainty whether market conditions will improve, remain constant or deteriorate. Negative market conditions may impair our ability to underwrite insurance at rates we consider appropriate and commensurate relative to the risk assumed. Additionally, negative market conditions could result in a decline in policies sold, an increase in the frequency of claims and premium defaults and an uptick in the frequency of falsification of claims. If we cannot underwrite insurance at appropriate rates, our ability to transact business will be materially and adversely affected. Any of these factors could lead to an adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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We undertake strategic initiatives to innovate within the competitive, regulatory and legal environments of the insurance industry and our innovations may entail a degree of risk, may not ultimately achieve anticipated business goals, or may be subject to challenge by regulators or private litigants.
Our insurance subsidiaries operate in a highly regulated environment, subject to comprehensive supervision and regulation by insurance departments in multiple states and jurisdictions, each with its own complex and evolving set of laws and regulations. Federal laws also impose additional requirements in areas such as the use of credit information, consumer privacy, and reimbursement of certain government-incurred medical costs. These regulatory frameworks restrict or require prior approval for numerous aspects of our operations, including underwriting and pricing risks, implementing rate adjustments, discontinuing unprofitable lines or exiting markets, terminating policies, and managing investment portfolios. Changes in laws, regulations, or judicial interpretations, as well as inconsistencies between state and federal requirements, can further complicate compliance, delay necessary regulatory approvals, increase operational costs, and limit our ability to respond timely to changing loss trends, market conditions, or competitive pressures. In addition, certain jurisdictions require insurers to pay assessments to cover claims arising from the insolvency of other carriers or to support government-mandated high-risk insurance programs, which can impose substantial and unpredictable financial burdens. These regulatory constraints and compliance costs may materially and adversely affect our profitability, growth prospects, ability to innovate, and overall financial condition.
Failure or alleged failure to comply with applicable insurance, privacy, consumer protection, or other laws and regulations could result in regulatory investigations, enforcement actions, fines, penalties, monetary settlements, revocation of licenses to operate in one or more jurisdictions, adverse publicity, reputational harm, and loss of market confidence. We may also face individual or class action litigation from policyholders or other parties alleging violations of these laws. Future adoption of new or amended federal or state legislation or regulations could impose additional restrictions, increase compliance burdens, raise operating expenses, or otherwise materially and adversely affect our ability to underwrite business profitably, expand into new markets, or maintain existing operations in one or more jurisdictions. Any such developments could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We operate in a highly regulated environment and are subject to a variety of complex federal and state laws and regulations.
In the United States, each state regulator retains the authority to license insurers within its state, and an insurer generally may not operate in a state in which it is not licensed. Accordingly, we are not permitted to sell insurance to residents of the states and territories of the United States in which we do not currently possess a license, which is likely to put us at a disadvantage among many of our competitors that have been in business much longer than us and are licensed to sell their insurance products in most, if not all, U.S. jurisdictions.
Our insurance company subsidiary, Slide Insurance Company, is subject to extensive regulation and supervision in Florida, its state of domicile, and in the states in which it transacts business, principally by the individual state insurance departments. Such regulation and supervision are generally designed to protect the interests of policyholders, and not necessarily the interests of insurers or agents, their stockholders or other investors. Numerous aspects of our insurance business are subject to regulation, including, but not limited to, premium rates, mandatory covered risks, limitations on the ability to renew or elect not to renew business, prohibited exclusions, licensing and appointment of agents, restrictions on the size of risks that may be insured under a single policy, reserves and provisions for unearned premiums, losses and other obligations, deposits of securities for the benefit of customers, investments, capital and surplus requirements, dividend limits, affiliate transactions, policy forms and coverages, advertising and other conduct, including restrictions on the use of credit information and other factors in underwriting, as well as other underwriting and claims practices. To the extent we decide to expand our current product offerings to include other insurance products, such as auto or life insurance, this would subject us to additional regulatory requirements and scrutiny in each state in which we elect to offer such products. States have also adopted legislation defining and prohibiting unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts and practices in the business of insurance. Prohibited practices include, but are not limited to, misrepresentations, false advertising, coercion, disparaging other insurers, unfair claims settlement procedures and discrimination in the business of insurance. Noncompliance with any of such state statute may subject us to regulatory action by the relevant state insurance regulator, and, in certain states, private litigation. States also regulate various aspects of the contractual relationships between insurers and independent agents.
Such laws, rules and regulations are usually overseen and enforced by the various state insurance departments, as well as through private rights of action and by state attorneys general. Such regulations or enforcement actions are often responsive to current consumer and political sensitivities, such as homeowners and commercial residential insurance rates and coverage forms, or which may arise after a major event. Such rules and regulations may result in rate suppression, limit our ability to manage our exposure to unprofitable or volatile risks, or lead to fines, premium refunds or other adverse consequences.
In addition, the federal government also may regulate aspects of our businesses, such as the protection of consumer confidential information or the use of consumer insurance (credit) scores to underwrite and assess the risk of customers under the
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Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”). Among other things, the FCRA requires insurance companies to have a permissible purpose before obtaining and using a consumer report for underwriting purposes, as well as comply with related notice and recordkeeping requirements. Failure to comply with federal requirements under the FCRA or any other applicable federal laws would subject us to regulatory fines and other sanctions. In addition, given our short operating history to date and rapid speed of growth, we are particularly vulnerable to state insurance regulators identifying errors in the policy forms we use, the rates we charge and our customer communications. As a result of such noncompliance, regulators could impose fines, rebates or other penalties, including cease-and-desist orders for an individual state, or all states, until the identified noncompliance is rectified. The FLOIR, the insurance regulatory authority for insurance carriers in the State of Florida, conducts examinations on a periodic basis and may conduct special or targeted examinations to address particular concerns or issues at any time. Insurance regulators of other states in which we are licensed to sell insurance as an agent may also conduct examinations. The results of these examinations can give rise to regulatory orders requiring remedial, injunctive or other corrective action.
Our ability to retain state licenses depends on our ability to meet licensing requirements adopted by each state, subject to variations across states. If we are unable to satisfy the applicable licensing requirements of any particular state, we could lose our license to do business in such state, which would result in the temporary or permanent cessation of our operations in that state. Alternatively, if we are unable to satisfy applicable state licensing requirements, we may be subject to additional regulatory oversight, have our license suspended or be subject to seizure of assets. Any such events could adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
In addition, as a condition to writing business in certain states, insurers are required to participate in various pools or risk sharing mechanisms or to accept certain classes of risk, regardless of whether such risks meet their underwriting requirements for voluntary business. Some states limit or impose significant restrictions on an insurer’s ability to materially reduce its exposures or to withdraw from certain lines of business. The state insurance departments can impose significant charges on an insurer in connection with a market withdrawal or refuse to approve withdrawal plans on the grounds that they could lead to market disruption. Laws and regulations that limit cancellation and non-renewal of policies or that subject withdrawal plans to prior approval requirements may significantly restrict our ability to exit unprofitable markets. Such actions and related regulatory restrictions may limit our ability to reduce our potential exposure to hurricane-related losses.
State insurance regulators impose additional reporting requirements regarding enterprise risk on insurance holding company systems, with which we must comply as an insurance holding company.
In the past decade, various state insurance regulators have increased their focus on risks within an insurer’s holding company system that may pose enterprise risk to the insurer. In 2012, the NAIC adopted significant changes to the insurance holding company act and regulations (the “NAIC Amendments”). The NAIC Amendments are designed to respond to perceived gaps in the regulation of insurance holding company systems in the United States. One of the major changes is a requirement that an insurance holding company system’s ultimate controlling person submit annually to its lead state insurance regulator an “enterprise risk report” that identifies activities, circumstances or events involving one or more affiliates of an insurer that, if not remedied properly, are likely to have a material adverse effect upon the financial condition or liquidity of the insurer or its insurance holding company system as a whole. Other changes include requiring a controlling person to submit prior notice to its domiciliary insurance regulator of a divestiture of control, having detailed minimum requirements for cost sharing and management agreements between an insurer and its affiliates and expanding of the agreements between an insurer and its affiliates to be filed with its domiciliary insurance regulator. The NAIC Amendments must be adopted by the individual state legislatures and insurance regulators in order to be effective. Florida, our main domiciliary state for SIC, includes a form of the enterprise risk report requirement pursuant to Section 628.801 of the Florida Insurance Code.
In 2012, the NAIC also adopted the Risk Management and Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Model Act (the “ORSA Model Act”). The ORSA Model Act, when adopted by the various states, will require an insurance holding company system’s Chief Risk Officer to submit annually to its lead state insurance regulator an Own Risk and Solvency Assessment Summary Report (“ORSA”). The ORSA is a confidential internal assessment appropriate to the nature, scale and complexity of an insurer, conducted by that insurer of the material and relevant risks identified by the insurer associated with an insurer’s current business plan and the sufficiency of capital resources to support those risks. The ORSA Model Act must be adopted by the individual state legislature and insurance regulators in order to be effective. There is also risk that insurance holding company systems may become subject to group capital requirements at the holding company level. The NAIC is currently working to develop a group capital calculation framework that regulators may use for informational purposes. As envisioned, the framework is intended to complement the current holding company analytics framework by providing additional information to the lead state regulator for use in assessing group risks and capital adequacy. We cannot predict the impact, if any, that the NAIC Amendments, compliance with the ORSA Model Act, or any other regulatory requirements may have on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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The increasing adoption by states and the SEC of cybersecurity regulations could impose additional compliance burdens on us and expose us to additional liability.
In response to the growing threat of cyber-attacks in the insurance industry, certain jurisdictions have begun to consider new cybersecurity measures, including the adoption of cybersecurity regulations. On October 24, 2017, the NAIC adopted its Insurance Data Security Model Law, intended to serve as model legislation for states to enact in order to govern cybersecurity and data protection practices of insurers, insurance agents and other licensed entities registered under state insurance laws. Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina and Virginia have adopted versions of the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law, each with a different effective date, and other states may adopt versions of the NAIC Insurance Data Security Model Law in the future. Further, on July 26, 2023, the SEC adopted rules requiring registrants to disclose material cybersecurity incidents they experience and to disclose on an annual basis material information regarding their cybersecurity risk management, strategy and governance. Although we take steps to comply with financial industry cybersecurity regulations and believe we are materially compliant with their requirements, our failure to comply with new or existing cybersecurity regulations could result in regulatory actions and other penalties. In addition, efforts to comply with new or existing cybersecurity regulations could impose significant costs on our business, which could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition.
Severe weather events and other catastrophes, including the effects of climate change and global pandemics, are inherently unpredictable and may have a material adverse effect on our financial results and financial condition.
Our homeowners and commercial residential insurance business is subject to significant risks from severe weather events and other catastrophes, including but not limited to winter storms, hail, high winds, thunderstorms, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tropical storms, earthquakes, tsunamis, fires, explosions, riots, terrorism, or war. The incidence, timing, location, and severity of these events are inherently unpredictable, and the occurrence of one event does not affect the likelihood or magnitude of another. Losses from such catastrophes depend on the concentration of our insured exposure in the affected areas and the intensity of the event, which can lead to a sudden and substantial increase in claims volume, heightened loss adjustment expenses, and potential legal or regulatory changes that restrict our ability to limit liability under policy terms. These events could cause material increases in our incurred losses, reduce our liquidity, deplete our capital reserves, and impair our ability to underwrite new policies or maintain existing business, potentially resulting in a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
We mitigate catastrophe exposure through reinsurance arrangements, including traditional excess of loss treaties and multi-year coverage accessed via catastrophe bonds issued in the capital markets. However, reinsurance may not be available in sufficient amounts or at reasonable rates to fully protect against severe events such as hurricanes, and we may not secure adequate coverage in the future. Even with reinsurance from counterparties we consider creditworthy, reinsurers could become unable or unwilling to meet their obligations due to financial impairment or other factors, leaving us exposed to greater net retained losses. Additionally, climate change may increase the frequency or severity of certain natural perils, such as more intense hurricanes from higher sea surface temperatures, heightened thunderstorm and hail activity, expanded wildfire risks, or more frequent deluge flooding, while also potentially affecting demand for insurance, reinsurance availability and pricing, and the value of our investment portfolio. The significant uncertainty surrounding future climate conditions makes it difficult to predict or quantify these impacts, which could materially and adversely affect our underwriting profitability, reinsurance costs, overall financial performance, and ability to operate effectively in affected geographies.
Our results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected due to limitations in the analytical models used to assess and predict our exposure to catastrophe losses.
Along with others in the insurance industry, models developed internally and by third-party vendors that employ various modeling techniques, including Stochastic, Bayesian statistics, classification, regression, clustering and other advanced machine learning techniques, are used along with our own historical data in assessing property insurance exposure to catastrophe losses. These models assume various conditions and probability scenarios; however, they do not necessarily accurately predict future losses or measure losses currently incurred. As with many technological innovations, artificial intelligence and machine learning present risks and challenges that could affect their adoption, and therefore our business. Further, the accuracy of such models may be negatively impacted by changing climate conditions. Catastrophe models use historical information and scientific research about natural events, such as hurricanes and earthquakes, as well as detailed information about our in-force business. This information is used in connection with pricing and risk management activities. However, since actual catastrophic events vary considerably, there are limitations with respect to its usefulness in predicting losses in any reporting period. Other limitations are evident in significant variations in estimates between models, material increases and decreases in results due to model changes and refinements of the underlying data elements and actual conditions that are not yet well understood or may not be properly incorporated into the models. Additionally, there are significant risks involved in developing and deploying artificial
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intelligence, such as an increase in intellectual property infringement or misappropriation, data privacy, cybersecurity, operational and technological risks, harmful content, accuracy, bias, toxicity and discrimination, any of which could affect our further development, adoption and use of artificial intelligence, and may cause us to incur additional research and development costs to resolve such issues. It is not possible to predict all of the risks related to the use of artificial intelligence, and changes in laws, rules, directives and regulations governing artificial intelligence may adversely affect our ability to develop and use artificial intelligence or subject us to legal liability.
SIC and SSIC are subject to minimum capital and surplus requirements, and failure to meet these requirements could subject us to regulatory action.
SIC and SSIC are subject to risk-based capital standards and other minimum capital and surplus requirements. The risk-based capital standards, based upon the Risk Based Capital Model Act developed by the NAIC and adopted in all states, including SIC and SSIC’s state of domicile, require SIC and SSIC to report results of risk-based capital calculations to its domestic regulator. These risk-based capital standards provide for different levels of regulatory attention depending upon the ratio of an insurance company’s total adjusted capital, as calculated in accordance with the NAIC’s RBC formula, to its authorized control level risk-based capital. Authorized control level risk-based capital is determined using the NAIC’s risk-based capital formula, which measures the minimum amount of capital that an insurance company needs to support its overall business operations.
An insurance company with total adjusted capital that is less than 200% of its authorized control level risk- based capital is at a company action level, which would require the insurance company to file a risk-based capital plan that, among other things, contains proposals of corrective actions the Company intends to take that are reasonably expected to result in the elimination of the Company action level event. Additional action level events occur when the insurer’s total adjusted capital falls below 150%, 100% and 70% of its authorized control level risk-based capital. The lower the percentage, the more severe the regulatory response, including, in the event of a mandatory control level event (total adjusted capital falls below 70% of the insurer’s authorized control level risk-based capital), placing the insurance company into receivership. As of December 31, 2025, SIC and SSIC's risk-based capital ratio was well in excess of minimum statutory requirements.
In addition, SIC and SSIC are required to maintain a certain minimum capital and surplus and generally must keep its net written premiums within specified multiples of its surplus that regulators customarily view as prudent. SIC and SSIC could exceed these ratios if its volume increases faster than anticipated or if its surplus declines due to catastrophe or non-catastrophe losses or excessive underwriting and operational expenses.
Any failure by SIC and SSIC to meet the applicable risk based capital or minimum statutory capital requirements or the writings ratio limitations regulators customarily use where we currently or may in the future conduct business could subject us to further examination or corrective action imposed by state regulators, including limitations on our writing of additional business, state supervision or liquidation.
Any changes in existing risk-based capital requirements, minimum statutory capital requirements or customary writings ratios may require us to increase our statutory capital levels, which we may be unable to do.
SIC is subject to assessments and other surcharges from state guaranty funds, and mandatory state insurance facilities, which may reduce our profitability.
The insurance laws of many states subject property and casualty insurers doing business in those states to statutory property and casualty guaranty fund assessments. The purpose of a guaranty fund is to protect customers by requiring that solvent property and casualty insurers pay the insurance claims of insolvent insurers. These guaranty associations, including the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association, generally pay these claims by assessing solvent insurers proportionately based on each insurer’s share of voluntary premiums written in the state. While most guaranty associations provide for recovery of assessments through subsequent rate increases, surcharges or premium tax credits, there is no assurance that insurers will ultimately recover these assessments, which could be material, particularly following a large catastrophe or in markets which become disrupted.
Maximum contributions required by law in any one year vary by state. We cannot predict with certainty the amount of future assessments because they depend on factors outside our control, such as insolvencies of other insurance companies. Significant assessments could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
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Unexpected changes in the interpretation of our coverage or provisions in our policies, including loss limitations and exclusions, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
There can be no assurances that specifically negotiated loss limitations or exclusions in our policies will be enforceable in the manner we intend. As industry practices and legal, judicial, social and other conditions change, unexpected and unintended issues related to claims and coverage may emerge. For example, many of our policies limit the period during which a customer may bring a claim, which may be shorter than the statutory period under which such claims can be brought against our customers. While these limitations and exclusions help us assess and mitigate our loss exposure, it is possible that a court or regulatory authority could nullify or void a limitation or exclusion or legislation could be enacted modifying or barring the use of such limitations or exclusions. These types of governmental actions could result in higher-than-anticipated loss and loss adjustment expense, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, court decisions, such as the 1995 Montrose decision in California could read policy exclusions narrowly so as to expand coverage, thereby requiring insurers to create and write new exclusions. These issues may adversely affect our business by either broadening coverage beyond our underwriting intent or by increasing the frequency or severity of claims. In some instances, these changes may not become apparent until sometime after we have issued insurance contracts that are affected by the changes. As a result, the full extent of liability under our insurance contracts may not be known for many years after a contract is issued.
We face vigorous competition from large, well-capitalized national companies and smaller regional insurers. Other large national and international insurance or financial services companies also may enter these markets in the future. Many of these companies may have greater financial, marketing and management resources than we have.
We write coastal specialty personal lines insurance including homeowners, condominium unit owners, commercial residential, and other products. The coastal specialty insurance market is highly competitive. We face vigorous competition from large, well-capitalized national and international companies, as well as smaller regional insurers. Other large insurance or financial services companies also may enter these markets in the future. Many of these companies have substantial resources, experienced management and strong marketing, underwriting and pricing capabilities. The property and casualty insurance industry is a relatively mature industry, in which brand recognition, marketing skills, operational effectiveness, pricing, scale and cost control are major competitive factors. If our competitors offer similar insurance products at lower prices, offer such insurance products bundled with other products or services that we do not offer, or engage in other successful competitive initiatives, our ability to generate new business or to retain a sufficient number of our existing customers could be compromised.
Property insurance markets historically have been known as cyclical, with periods of relatively strong profitability being followed by increased pricing competition among insurers. This price competition, which is sometimes referred to as a “soft market,” can adversely affect revenue and profitability levels. As insurers recognize this situation (which can occur at different times for different companies), the historical reaction has been for insurers to raise their rates (sometimes referred to as a “hard market”) in an attempt to restore profitability to acceptable levels. As more insurers react in this way, profit levels in the industry may increase to a point where some insurers begin to lower their rates, starting the cycle over again. In the past, this cycle has generally played out over a number of years. We cannot be certain whether and to what extent such cyclicality is currently impacting the property insurance markets, nor can we predict whether it will do so in the future.
The highly competitive nature of the insurance marketplace could result in consolidation within the industry, or in the failure of one or more competitors. The concentration of premium volume in a reduced number of major competitors could significantly increase the level of competition in a manner that is not favorable to us. In addition, in the event of a failure of a major insurer or a state-sponsored catastrophe fund, our company and other insurance companies may be required by law to absorb the losses of the failed insurer or fund, resulting in a potentially significant increase in our costs. We might also be faced with an unexpected surge in new business from a failed insurer’s former policyholders. Such events could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Industry trends, such as increased litigation against the insurance industry and individual insurers, the willingness of courts to expand covered causes of loss, rising jury awards and the escalation of loss severity may contribute to increased costs and to the deterioration of the reserves of our insurance subsidiary.
Loss severity in the property and casualty insurance industry has continued to increase in recent years, principally driven by larger court judgments. In addition, many legal actions and proceedings have been brought on behalf of classes of complainants, which can increase the size of judgments. The propensity of policyholders and third-party claimants to litigate and the willingness of courts to expand causes of loss and the size of awards may render the loss reserves of our insurance subsidiary inadequate for current and future losses.
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Risks Relating to Regulatory and Legal Matters
We are subject to additional regulation imposed by consent orders entered into with the FLOIR in connection with our formation.
In addition to compliance with statutes and regulations, Florida routinely places additional restrictions on new insurers as a condition of receiving their certificate of authority. These restrictions are typically memorialized in a consent order entered into between FLOIR and the insurer applying for a certificate of authority. We were subject to such a consent order in which we agreed to higher or more stringent restrictions than are otherwise required under Florida law. The material restrictions we agreed to included:
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Florida law requires a residential property writer to maintain surplus of the greater of $15.0 million or 10% of its liabilities. Pursuant to the consent order, we agreed to establish a minimum capital and surplus of 300% of our authorized control level risk-based capital.
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Florida law restricts the ratio of premiums written to policyholder surplus to 10 to 1 on a gross basis and 4 to 1 on a net of reinsurance basis. Pursuant to the consent order, we agreed to not exceed the projected premiums in the plan of operation submitted with our original application for licensure without the prior written approval of FLOIR. As part of the FLOIR approval process for the various Citizens assumption transactions in which we have participated, we received approval to exceed these projected premiums.
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Florida law places no restrictions on the parent of an insurer, or other upstream entities, with regard to the payment of dividends. Pursuant to the consent order, we agreed to not make any distributions to stockholders prior to January 7, 2025.
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Florida law allows an insurer to pay certain dividends to stockholders without approval of FLOIR. Pursuant to the consent order, we agreed that, until January 7, 2025, we would pay only those dividends that had been approved in advance and in writing by FLOIR.
In addition, we are subject to several consent orders setting conditions upon FLOIR’s approval of the various Citizens assumption transactions in which we have participated. For example, beginning with our August 2023 assumption transaction, we are required to offer to renew each assumed policy for a minimum of three years provided the policies satisfy our underwriting guidelines. If we violate a consent order, FLOIR may take administrative action as it deems appropriate, including suspending or revoking our insurance license.
Changes in regulation may reduce our profitability and limit our growth.
We are subject to extensive regulation in Florida and South Carolina, the only states in which we currently conduct business. The NAIC and state insurance regulators are constantly reexamining existing laws and regulations, generally focusing on modifications to holding company regulations, interpretations of existing laws and the development of new laws. From time to time, states consider and/or enact laws that may alter or increase state authority to regulate insurance companies and insurance holding companies. States also consider and/or enact laws that impact the competitive environment and marketplace for property and casualty insurance. Our insurance company subsidiary currently transacts insurance only in Florida and South Carolina, where the recent political environment has led to aggressive regulation of property and casualty insurance companies. We expect this to continue for the foreseeable future.
During the past several years, various regulatory and legislative bodies have adopted or proposed new laws or regulations to address the cyclical nature of the insurance industry, catastrophic events and insurance capacity and pricing. These regulations include (i) the creation of “market assistance plans” under which insurers are induced to provide certain coverages, (ii) restrictions on the ability of insurers to rescind or otherwise cancel certain policies in mid-term or to non-renew policies at their scheduled expirations, (iii) advance notice requirements or limitations imposed for certain policy non-renewals, (iv) limitations upon or decreases in rates permitted to be charged, (v) expansion of governmental involvement in the insurance market and (vi) increased regulation of insurers’ policy administration and claims handling practices.
Currently, the federal government does not directly regulate the insurance business. However, in recent years the state insurance regulatory framework has come under increased federal scrutiny. Congress and some federal agencies from time to time investigate the current condition of insurance regulation in the United States to determine whether to impose federal regulation or to allow an optional federal charter, similar to banks. In addition, changes in federal legislation and administrative policies in several areas, including changes in the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, financial services regulation and federal taxation, can significantly impact the insurance industry and us.
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We cannot predict with certainty the effect any enacted, proposed or future state or federal legislation or NAIC initiatives may have on the conduct of our business. Furthermore, there can be no assurance that the regulatory requirements applicable to our business will not become more stringent in the future or result in materially higher costs than current requirements, or that creation of a federal insurance regulatory system will not adversely affect our business or disproportionately benefit our competitors. Changes in the regulation of our business may reduce our profitability, limit our growth or otherwise adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Applicable insurance laws may make it difficult to effect a change of control of our company.
State insurance holding company laws require prior approval by the state insurance department of any change of control of an insurer that is domiciled in that respective state. “Control” is generally defined as the possession, direct or indirect, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a company, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise. Control is generally presumed to exist through the direct or indirect ownership of 10% or more of the voting securities of a domestic insurance company or any entity that controls a domestic insurance company. Because we are domiciled in Florida, we are subject to Florida law, which prohibits any person from acquiring 5% or more of our outstanding voting securities without the prior approval of FLOIR. However, a party acquiring more than 5% but less than 10% of our voting securities that does not otherwise exercise control may make such acquisition without prior approval by filing a disclaimer of affiliation and control with FLOIR. These laws may discourage potential acquisition proposals and may delay, deter or prevent a change of control of us, including through transactions, and in particular unsolicited transactions, that some or all of our stockholders might consider to be desirable.
Recent and future changes to tax laws or applicable tax rates in the jurisdictions where we operate could materially and adversely affect our company.
The taxation of our business is subject to the enactment of, or changes in, tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof, tax policy initiatives and reforms under consideration and the practices of tax authorities in various jurisdictions. Existing, new or future changes in tax laws, regulations and treaties, or the interpretation thereof, could have an adverse effect on our tax liabilities, business, results of operations and financial condition. We are unable to predict changes in tax laws or applicable tax rates enacted in the future in jurisdictions where we have operations or what effect such changes would have on our business, but such changes could affect our future financial position and overall tax rates in the future or increase the complexity, burden and cost of tax compliance.
Applicable tax rates may be subject to significant change in the jurisdictions or future jurisdictions in which we operate. If our effective tax rate increases, our operating results and cash flow could be adversely affected. Our effective income tax rate can vary significantly between periods due to a number of complex factors including, but not limited to, projected levels of taxable income in each jurisdiction, tax audits conducted and settled by various tax authorities, and adjustments to income taxes upon finalization of income tax returns.
Risks Relating to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and you could lose all or part of your investment.
Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for them. The market price for our common stock could fluctuate significantly for various reasons, including, but not limited to:
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our operating and financial performance and prospects;
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our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry;
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the public’s reaction to our press releases, our other public announcements and our filings with the SEC;
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changes in, or failure to meet, earnings estimates or recommendations by research analysts who track our common stock or the stock of other companies in our industry;
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the failure of research analysts to cover our common stock;
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general economic, industry and market conditions;
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strategic actions by us, our customers or our competitors, such as acquisitions or restructurings;
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new laws or regulations or new interpretations of existing laws or regulations applicable to our business;
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changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;
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material litigation or government investigations;
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changes in general conditions in the U.S. and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from war, incidents of terrorism or responses to such events;
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changes in key personnel;
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sales of common stock by us, our principal stockholders or members of our management team;
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the granting or exercise of employee stock options;
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volume of trading in our common stock; and
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impact of the facts described elsewhere in these “Risk Factors.”
In addition, in recent years, the stock market has regularly experienced significant price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a significant impact on the market price of securities issued by many companies, including companies in our industry. The changes frequently appear to occur without regard to the operating performance of the affected companies. Hence, the price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with us and these fluctuations could materially reduce our share price.
We are an “emerging growth company” and we cannot be certain if the reduced disclosure and other requirements applicable to emerging growth companies will make our common stock less attractive to investors.
We qualify as an “emerging growth company,” as defined in the JOBS Act, and we intend to take advantage of certain exemptions from various reporting requirements that are applicable to other public companies that are not “emerging growth companies” including, but not limited to, (i) not being required to comply with the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act with respect to our internal control over financial reporting, (ii) reduced disclosure obligations regarding executive compensation in our periodic reports and proxy statements, and (iii) exemptions from the requirements of holding a nonbinding advisory vote on executive compensation and stockholder approval of any golden parachute payments not previously approved. We may take advantage of these provisions for up to five years or such earlier time that we are no longer an “emerging growth company.” We would cease to be an “emerging growth company” upon the earliest to occur of: (i) the last day of the fiscal year in which we have more than $1.235 billion (as adjusted for inflation pursuant to SEC rules from time to time) in annual revenues; (ii) the date we qualify as a “large accelerated filer,” with at least $700.0 million of equity securities; (iii) the issuance, in any three-year period, by our company of more than $1.0 billion in non-convertible debt securities held by non-affiliates; and (iv) the last day of the fiscal year ending after the fifth anniversary of our IPO. We may choose to take advantage of some but not all of these reduced reporting and other burdens. To the extent we take advantage of any of the reduced reporting burdens in this Report or in future filings, the information that we provide our security holders may be different than you might get from other public companies in which you hold equity interests. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we may rely on these exemptions. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
Because we have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards for an “emerging growth company,” our combined financial statements may not be comparable to companies that currently comply with these accounting standards.
We have elected to use the extended transition period for complying with new or revised accounting standards under Section 7(a)(2)(B) of the Securities Act. This election allows us to delay the adoption of new or revised accounting standards that have different effective dates for public and private companies until those standards apply to private companies. As a result of this election, our combined financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with these accounting standards as of the public company effective dates. Consequently, our combined financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates. Because our combined financial statements may not be comparable to companies that comply with public company effective dates, investors may have difficulty evaluating or comparing our business, performance or prospects in comparison to other public companies, which may have a negative impact on the value and liquidity of our common stock. We cannot predict if investors will find our common stock less attractive because we plan to rely
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on this exemption. If some investors find our common stock less attractive as a result, there may be a less active trading market for our common stock and our stock price may be more volatile.
If we are unable to implement and maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting in the future, investors may lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and the market price of our common stock may be negatively affected.
As a public company, we will be required to maintain internal controls over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “Sarbanes-Oxley Act”) requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and, beginning with our annual report for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, provide a management report on the internal controls over financial reporting. If we have a material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting, we may not detect errors on a timely basis and our financial statements may be materially misstated. We are in the process of designing and implementing the internal controls over financial reporting required to comply with this obligation, a process which may be time-consuming, costly and complicated.
The occurrence of any of the following may cause investors to lose confidence in the accuracy and completeness of our financial reports and could negatively impact the price of our common stock:
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identification of material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting;
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our inability to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner;
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our inability to assert that our internal controls over financial reporting are effective; or
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our independent registered public accounting firm’s inability to express an opinion as to the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting.
If any of the foregoing occur, we may also become subject to investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities, as well as lawsuits by private plaintiffs.
We are a holding company, and we are accordingly dependent upon distributions from our subsidiaries to pay dividends, if any, taxes and other expenses.
We do not conduct any substantive operations and, as a result, our ability to pay dividends, taxes and other expenses will be dependent upon the financial results and cash flows of our operating subsidiaries and the distribution or other payment of cash to us in the form of dividends or otherwise. Our direct and indirect subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation to make any funds available to us.
In addition, the declaration and payment of dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will be dependent upon the profits and financial requirements of our company and other factors, including legal and regulatory restrictions on the payment of dividends, general business conditions and such other factors as our board of directors deems relevant.
We may change our underwriting guidelines or our strategy without stockholder approval.
Our management has the authority to change our underwriting guidelines or our strategy without notice to our stockholders and without stockholder approval. As a result, we may make significant changes to our operations which could result in our pursuing a strategy or implementing underwriting guidelines that may be materially different from the strategy or underwriting guidelines described in this Report.
Future sales of our common stock, or the perception in the public markets that these sales may occur, may depress our stock price.
Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, could adversely affect the price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional shares. As of December 31, 2025, we had 123,889,446 shares of common stock outstanding. Of these shares, all the shares of
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common stock sold in this offering will be freely transferable without restriction or registration under the Securities Act, except for any shares purchased by one of our existing “affiliates” as that term is defined in Rule 144 under the Securities Act.
We also registered all common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plans. These shares can be freely sold in the public market upon issuance, subject to the lock-up period referred to above. If a large number of these shares are sold in the public market, the sales could reduce the trading price of our common stock.
Certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, our amended and restated bylaws and the Stockholders Agreement may make it difficult for stockholders to change the composition of our board of directors and may discourage hostile takeover attempts that some of our stockholders may consider to be beneficial.
Certain provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Stockholders Agreement may have the effect of delaying or preventing changes in control if our board of directors determines that such changes in control are not in the best interests of us and our stockholders. The provisions in such amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated bylaws and Stockholders Agreement include, among other things, the following:
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until the Substantial Ownership Requirement, which is defined in our Stockholders Agreement as requiring 10% of the aggregate number of outstanding shares of our common stock to be beneficially held by the Pre-IPO Significant Stockholders, Bruce Lucas, Shannon Lucas and Robert Gries, is no longer met, the Pre-IPO Significant Stockholders may designate a majority of the nominees for election to our board of directors, including the nominee for election to serve as Chairman of our board of directors;
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the ability of our board of directors to issue shares of preferred stock and to determine the price and other terms, including preferences and voting rights, of those shares without stockholder approval;
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stockholder action can only be taken at a special or regular meeting and not by written consent;
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advance notice procedures for nominating candidates to our board of directors or presenting matters at stockholder meetings;
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provide that our board of directors will be divided into three classes of directors, with each class as nearly equal in number as possible, serving staggered three-year terms;
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removal of directors only for cause and by the affirmative vote of 66 2⁄3% of the voting power of our outstanding shares or common stock; and
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allowing only our board of directors to fill vacancies on our board of directors.
While these provisions have the effect of encouraging persons seeking to acquire control of our company to negotiate with our board of directors, they could enable the board of directors to hinder or frustrate a transaction that some, or a majority, of the stockholders might believe to be in their best interests, including an acquisition that would result in a price per share at a premium over the market price, and, in that case, may prevent or discourage attempts to remove and replace incumbent directors.
These provisions may frustrate or prevent any attempts by our stockholders to replace or remove our current management by making it more difficult for stockholders to replace members of our board of directors, which is responsible for appointing the members of our management.
Any issuance of preferred stock could make it difficult for another company to acquire us or could otherwise adversely affect holders of our common stock, which could depress the price of our common stock.
Our board of directors has the authority to issue preferred stock and to determine the preferences, limitations and relative rights of shares of preferred stock and to fix the number of shares constituting any series and the designation of such series, without any further vote or action by our stockholders. Our preferred stock can be issued with voting, liquidation, dividend and other rights superior to the rights of our common stock. The potential issuance of preferred stock may delay or prevent a change in control of us, discouraging bids for our common stock at a premium over the market price, and adversely affect the market price and the voting and other rights of the holders of our common stock.
Our internal controls over financial reporting may not be effective and our independent registered public accounting firm may not be able to certify as to their effectiveness, which could have a significant and adverse effect on our business and reputation.
We are not currently required to comply with SEC rules that implement Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and are therefore not required to make a formal assessment of the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting for that
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purpose. We will be required to comply with these rules upon ceasing to be an “emerging growth company” as defined in the JOBS Act.
When evaluating our internal controls over financial reporting, we may identify material weaknesses that we may not be able to remediate in time to meet the applicable deadline imposed upon us for compliance with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. In addition, if we fail to achieve and maintain the adequacy of our internal controls, as such standards are modified, supplemented or amended from time to time, we may not be able to ensure that we can conclude on an ongoing basis that we have effective internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We cannot be certain as to the timing of completion of our evaluation, testing and any remediation actions or the impact of the same on our operations. If we are not able to implement the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, our independent registered public accounting firm may issue an adverse opinion due to ineffective internal controls over financial reporting, and we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the SEC. As a result, there could be a negative reaction in the financial markets due to a loss of confidence in the reliability of our financial statements. In addition, we may be required to incur costs in improving our internal control system and the hiring of additional personnel. Any such action could negatively affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.