Form 11-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 


FORM 11-K

 


 

x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE

         ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended: December 31, 2005

OR

 

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number: 000-19289

 

A. Full title of the plan and the address of the plan, if different from that of the issuer named below:

State Auto Insurance Companies Capital Accumulation Plan

 

B. Name of issuer of the securities held pursuant to the plan and the address of its principal executive office:

State Auto Financial Corporation

518 East Broad Street

Columbus, Ohio 43215-3976

 



REQUIRED INFORMATION

The following financial statements and supplemental schedules for the State Auto Insurance Companies Capital Accumulation Plan are being filed herewith:

Financial Statements for each of the three years ended December 31, 2005 and Supplemental Schedule for the year ended December 31, 2005

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

   1

Audited Financial Statements:

  

Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits

   2

Statement of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits

   3

Notes to Financial Statements

   4

Supplemental Schedule:

  

Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year)

   10

          The following exhibits are being filed herewith:

 

Exhibit No.   

Description

   
1    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   Included herein                                


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Plan Administrative Committee

State Auto Insurance Companies Capital Accumulation Plan

We have audited the accompanying statements of net assets available for benefits of the State Auto Insurance Companies Capital Accumulation Plan as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the related statement of changes in net assets available for benefits for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Plan’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. We were not engaged to perform an audit of the Plan’s internal control over financial reporting. Our audits included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Plan’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the net assets available for benefits of the Plan as of December 31, 2005 and 2004, and the changes in net assets available for benefits for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2005, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

Our audits were performed for the purpose of forming an opinion on the financial statements taken as a whole. The accompanying supplemental schedule of assets (held at end of year) as of December 31, 2005 is presented for the purpose of additional analysis and is not a required part of the financial statements but is supplementary information required by the Department of Labor’s Rules and Regulations for Reporting and Disclosure under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. This supplemental schedule is the responsibility of the Plan’s management. The supplemental schedule has been subjected to the auditing procedures applied in our audits of the financial statements and, in our opinion, is fairly stated in all material respects in relation to the financial statements taken as a whole.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Columbus, Ohio

June 9, 2006

 

1


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Statements of Net Assets Available for Benefits

 

     December 31
     2005    2004

Assets

     

Investments, at fair value:

     

Shares of registered investment companies

   $ 134,932,755    118,745,932

Interest-bearing cash

     10,803,053    11,161,319

Common / collective trusts

     15,895,322    15,645,907

Affiliated stock

     1,855,413    1,306,353

Loans to participants

     2,676,727    2,361,711
           

Total investments

     166,163,270    149,221,222

Contribution receivables:

     

Employee

     18,000    16,000

Employer

     7,350    7,175
           

Total receivables

     25,350    23,175
           

Net assets available for benefits

   $ 166,188,620    149,244,397
           

See accompanying notes.

 

2


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Statements of Changes in Net Assets Available for Benefits

 

     Year Ended December 31
     2005    2004    2003

Additions

        

Interest and dividends

   $ 5,521,946    3,464,940    2,631,527

Contributions:

        

Employee

     8,820,482    7,621,633    7,028,128

Employer

     3,048,240    2,824,545    2,688,942
                

Total contributions

     11,868,722    10,446,178    9,717,070
                

Total additions

     17,390,668    13,911,118    12,348,597

Deductions

        

Benefit payments

     8,766,270    5,989,685    6,858,337

Participant loan fees

     17,178    14,748    16,258
                

Total deductions

     8,783,448    6,004,433    6,874,595

Net appreciation in fair value of investments

     8,337,003    10,422,409    19,867,068
                

Net increase

     16,944,223    18,329,094    25,341,070

Net assets available for benefits:

        

Beginning of year

     149,244,397    130,915,303    105,574,233
                

End of year

   $ 166,188,620    149,244,397    130,915,303
                

See accompanying notes.

 

3


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements

December 31, 2005

1. Description of the Plan

Organization

The State Auto Insurance Companies Capital Accumulation Plan (the “Plan”), a defined contribution plan, was adopted effective June 1, 1982, by State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company and its affiliates (the “Company”) for the purpose of providing a savings plan for the benefit of its employees.

The following description of the Plan provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan Document for a complete description of the Plan.

General

An employee of the company is eligible to participate in the Plan as of the first pay period subsequent to thirty days after the employee’s hire date, provided the employee is or will attain age 21 during the calendar year following the employee’s hire date.

The Plan was amended and restated effective January 1, 1997, including subsequent amendments through January 1, 2006, to comply with recent legislation, regulation and rulings. See “Contributions” and “Investment Options.”

Contributions

Each participant may contribute any percentage of their salary between 1% and 50% (basic contribution). Subject to certain limitations, the Company matches the first 2% of basic contributions of participant salary at the rate of 75 cents for each dollar contributed; basic contributions of 3% to 6% are matched at a rate of 50 cents for each dollar contributed. Participants can change their rate of deferral as of any given pay date. Participants may also suspend contributions at any time. Participants may elect to make supplemental contributions in the form of after tax salary deferrals. Total participant contributions may not exceed 50% of salary.

Based on a provision of the Plan that became effective in January 2002, as of January 1, 2004, all Plan participants who attain age 50 or older during the calendar year, and are making the maximum Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) pre-tax contribution, may make additional “Catch-up Contributions” each pay period in any whole percentage amount of their compensation from 1% to 25%, up to a dollar limitation on the amount of Catch-up Contribution established by law.

Vesting

Plan participants are immediately fully vested in employee contributions and related net earnings or losses. Full vesting in employer contributions and related net earnings and losses occurs upon three completed years of service. Any employee terminating prior to three completed years of service vests in employer contributions and related net earnings and losses at percentages set forth by the Plan document.

In addition, employer contributions and related net earnings or losses are fully vested upon retirement, age 65, death or total and permanent disability.

Any forfeiture of non-vested employer contributions and related net earnings or losses reduces future employer contributions.

 

4


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements, Continued

Participant’s Accounts

Each participant’s account is credited with the participant’s contributions and allocations of a) the Company’s contributions and b) Plan earnings, and is charged with applicable participant loan fees. Allocations are based on participant earnings or account balances, as defined. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant’s account.

Participant Loans

Participants may borrow from their fund accounts a minimum of $1,000 up to a maximum of the lesser of $50,000 or 50% of their vested account balance. Loan terms range from 1-5 years, or up to 10 years for the purchase of a primary residence. The loans are secured by the balance in the participant’s account and bear interest at a rate commensurate with local prevailing rates as determined quarterly by the Plan Administrative Committee. Principal and interest is paid ratably through bi-weekly payroll deductions.

Investment Options

Under the Plan trust agreement, participants may direct how their plan contributions are to be invested. The following description of the investment options provides only general information. Participants should refer to the Plan document for a complete description of the investments.

Plan contributions may be invested in the following twenty-three funds at December 31, 2005:

Baron Growth Fund: The fund primarily invests in small cap companies with market values under $2.5 billion.

Calamos Growth Fund: The fund primarily invests in companies that have the potential of above-average, sustainable earnings growth, that Calamos believes will outperform most analysts’ expectations, and whose results and prospects are not yet fully reflected in their stock prices.

JP Morgan Mid Cap Value Fund: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of mid cap companies with market capitalizations between $1 billion to $20 billion at the time of purchase.

American Beacon Small Cap Value: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of U.S. companies with market capitalizations of $2.6 billion or less at the time of investment.

Fidelity Puritan Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 60% of its assets in stocks and other equity securities, and the remainder in bonds and other debt securities, including lower-quality debt securities, when the outlook for the markets is neutral.

Fidelity Contrafund: The fund primarily invests in common stocks of domestic and foreign issuers of “growth” or “value” stocks, or both.

Fidelity Equity-Income Fund: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in income-producing equity securities, which tends to lead to investments in large cap “value” stocks.

Fidelity U.S. Government Reserves Fund: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in U.S. Government securities, and in repurchase agreements for those securities.

Fidelity Managed Income Portfolio Fund: The fund primarily invests in investment contracts issued by insurance companies and other financial institutions, in fixed income securities and money market funds to provide daily liquidity.

Spartan U.S. Equity Index Fund: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in common stocks included in the S&P 500 Index, which broadly represents the performance of common stocks publicly traded in the United States.

Fidelity Intermediate Bond Fund: The fund primarily invests at least 80% of its assets in investment-grade debt securities of all types and repurchase agreements for those securities (those of medium and high quality).

 

5


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements, Continued

Fidelity Diversified International Fund: The fund primarily invests in common stocks of foreign companies.

State Auto Financial Corporation Stock: State Auto Financial Corporation is an affiliate of the Company. The stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol, STFC.

Fidelity Freedom Income Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 38% in investment grade fixed income funds, 2% in high yield fixed income funds, 40% in short-term funds and 20% in domestic equity funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2000 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 26% in domestic equity funds, 1% in international equity funds, 33% in investment grade fixed income funds, 2% in high yield fixed-income funds and 38% in Fidelity short-term mutual funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2005 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 40% in domestic equity funds, 7% in international equity funds, 36% in investment grade fixed income funds, 5% in high yield fixed income funds and 12% in Fidelity short-term mutual funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2010 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 41% in domestic equity funds, 8% in international equity funds, 37% in investment grade fixed income funds, 5% in high yield fixed income funds and 9% in Fidelity short-term mutual funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2015 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 49% in domestic equity funds, 10% in international equity funds, 30% in investment grade fixed income funds, 7% in high yield fixed income funds and 4% in Fidelity short-term mutual funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2020 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 57% in domestic equity funds, 12% in international equity funds, 23% in investment grade fixed income funds and 8% in high yield fixed income funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2025 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 61% in domestic equity funds, 13% in international equity funds, 19% in investment grade fixed income funds and 7% in high yield fixed income funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2030 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 68% in domestic equity funds, 15% in international equity funds, 10% in investment grade fixed income funds and 7% in high yield fixed income funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2035 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 68% in domestic equity funds, 15% in international equity funds, 9% in investment grade fixed income funds and 8% in high yield fixed income funds.

Fidelity Freedom 2040 Fund: The fund primarily invests approximately 69% in domestic equity funds, 16% in international equity funds, 5% in investment grade fixed income funds and 10% in high yield fixed income funds.

Administrative Expenses

All administrative expenses, excluding participant loan fees, and trustee fees are paid by the Company.

Payment of Benefits

Upon termination of service, participants generally receive a lump-sum amount equal to the value of their account less outstanding loan balances. Alternatively, qualifying participants can elect to receive their account value, less outstanding loan balances, in installments over a period not to exceed 10 years or, in the case of a retired participant, over a period not to exceed normal life expectancy.

Participants may semiannually withdraw from their supplemental accumulated contributions and, subject to certain conditions, participants may withdraw from their accumulated basic and supplemental contributions based on financial hardship. After participants have been in the plan for five years, and once every two years thereafter, participants may withdraw the vested portion of employer contributions credited to their account.

 

6


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements, Continued

Plan Termination

While the Company has not expressed any intent to terminate the Plan or to discontinue contributions, it is free to do so at any time, subject to the provisions set forth in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. Should the Plan be terminated at some future time, all participants become 100% vested in benefits earned as of the termination date.

2. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accounting records of the Plan are maintained in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Valuation of Investments and Related Investment Income

Investments are stated at fair value. The common/collective trust is valued based on quoted redemption value on the last business day of the Plan year. Shares of registered investment companies and shares of the State Auto Financial Corporation Common Stock Fund are valued at quoted market prices that represent the net asset values of shares held by the Plan at year-end. Loans to plan participants, which must be approved by the Plan Administrative Committee, are valued at their outstanding balances, which approximate fair value.

Investment income, including appreciation and depreciation in fair value of investments, is allocated to participant accounts daily based upon the ratio of each participants account to the total fund balance.

Risks and Uncertainties

The Plan invests in various investment securities. Investment securities are exposed to various risks such as interest rate, market and credit risks. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, it is at least reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect participants’ account balances and the amounts reported in the statements of net assets available for benefits.

 

7


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements, Continued

3. Investments

The following investments, at fair value, represented 5% or more of assets available for benefits as of December 31, 2005 and 2004:

 

     December 31
     2005    2004

Investments in shares of registered investment companies:

     

Fidelity Contrafund

   $ 50,106,814    43,781,437

Fidelity Equity Income Fund

     30,357,441    31,872,223

Fidelity Puritan Fund

     12,682,869    12,315,802

Fidelity Diversified International Fund

     10,882,337    7,898,297

Fidelity U.S. Government Reserves Fund

     10,802,705    11,161,319

Spartan U.S. Equity Index Fund

     7,743,682    8,149,088

Investment in common/collective trusts:

     

Fidelity Managed Income Portfolio Fund

   $ 15,895,322    15,645,907

During 2005 and 2004, the Plan’s investments (including investments bought and sold, as well as held during the year) appreciated in value as follows:

 

     2005    2004

Realized appreciation:

     

Shares of registered investment companies

   $ 108,764    212,855

Affiliated stock

     32,022    30,474
           

Total realized appreciation

     140,786    243,329

Unrealized appreciation:

     

Shares of registered investment companies

     7,708,080    10,106,101

Affiliated stock

     488,137    72,979
           

Total unrealized appreciation

     8,196,217    10,179,080
           

Total realized and unrealized appreciation

   $ 8,337,003    10,422,409
           

4. Federal Income Tax Status

The Plan has received a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service dated August 16, 2002, stating that the Plan is qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”) and, therefore, the related trust is exempt from taxation. Subsequent to this determination by the Internal Revenue Service, the Plan was amended. Once qualified, the Plan is required to operate in conformity with the Code to maintain its qualification. The plan administrator believes the Plan is being operated in compliance with the applicable requirements of the Code and, therefore, believes that the Plan, as amended, is qualified and the related trust is tax exempt.

 

8


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Notes to the Financial Statements, Continued

5. Reconciliation to Form 5500

The following is a reconciliation of net assets available for benefits per the financial statements to the Form 5500 as of December 31:

 

     2005     2004  

Net assets available for benefits per the financial statements

   $ 166,188,620     149,244,397  

Contribution receivables

     (25,350 )   (23,175 )
              

Net assets available for benefits per the Form 5500

   $ 166,163,270     149,221,222  
              

The following is a reconciliation of the changes in net assets per the financial statements to the Form 5500 for the year ended December 31:

 

     2005    2004

Net increase in net assets available for benefits per the financial statements

   $ 16,944,223    18,329,094

Contributions:

     

Employee

     18,000    16,000

Employer

     7,350    7,175
           
     25,350    23,175
           

Net increase in net assets available for benefits per the Form 5500

   $ 16,918,873    18,305,919
           

 

9


STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Schedule H, Line 4i – Schedule of Assets (Held at End of Year)

EIN # 31-4316080 / Plan # 004

December 31, 2005

Identity of Issue

   Shares    Cost    Fair Value

Shares of Registered Investment Companies:

        

Baron Growth Fund

   41,680    $ 1,902,375    $ 1,892,255

Calamos Growth Fund

   97,915      5,186,995      5,391,198

JP Morgan Mid Cap Value Fund

   95,787      2,205,087      2,229,929

American Beacon Small Cap Value

   58,517      1,173,772      1,172,103

Fidelity Puritan Fund

   677,142      12,129,387      12,682,869

Fidelity Contrafund

   773,731      36,222,977      50,106,814

Fidelity Equity Income Fund

   575,169      26,718,801      30,357,441

Fidelity Intermediate Bond Fund

   340,486      3,571,757      3,503,603

Fidelity Diversified International Fund

   334,430      8,191,016      10,882,337

Spartan U.S. Equity Index Fund

   175,355      7,058,036      7,743,682

Fidelity Freedom Income

   1,263      14,179      14,362

Fidelity Freedom 2000

   13,112      156,727      160,103

Fidelity Freedom 2005

   18,874      201,348      209,877

Fidelity Freedom 2010

   200,865      2,702,669      2,822,158

Fidelity Freedom 2015

   82,343      907,746      951,062

Fidelity Freedom 2020

   164,373      2,265,198      2,417,921

Fidelity Freedom 2025

   48,136      553,594      575,707

Fidelity Freedom 2030

   73,881      1,013,615      1,109,687

Fidelity Freedom 2035

   22,081      257,718      270,054

Fidelity Freedom 2040

   49,784      408,353      439,593

Investment in common / collective trusts:

        

Fidelity Managed Income Portfolio Fund

   15,895,322      15,895,322      15,895,322

Interest-bearing cash:

        

Fidelity U.S. Government Reserves Fund

   10,802,706      10,802,706      10,802,706

Affiliated stock:

        

State Auto Financial Corporation Common Stock Fund (1)

   50,886      1,151,934      1,855,313

Stock Purchase Account (2)

   —        —        447

Participant loans
(interest rates 3.25% to 10.00%)

        —        2,676,727
                
      $ 140,691,312    $ 166,163,270
                

(1) – Indicated a party-in-interest to the Plan.

(2) – The stock purchase account may consist of the stock fund and or the Fidelity Cash Reserves is a money market fund that is used as a plan-level account in the recordkeeping of the purchase and sales of fractional share of employer stock. Participants cannot invest their account balances in this fund.

 

10


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the trustees (or other persons who administer the employee benefit plan) have duly caused this annual report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

   

STATE AUTO INSURANCE COMPANIES CAPITAL ACCUMULATION PLAN

Date: June 26, 2006    

By:

 

/s/ Cynthia A. Powell                            

   

Printed Name:

  Cynthia A. Powell                                                           
   

Title:

 

Vice President and Comptroller                        

   

By:

 

/s/ John R. Lowther                                       

   

Printed Name:

 

John R. Lowther                        

   

Title:

 

Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel

 

11


EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit No.   

Description

         
1    Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm    Included herein   

 

12