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Genworth MI Canada Inc
Annual Report 2017

MIC · TSX Utilities
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Ticker MIC
Exchange TSX
Sector Utilities
Industry Regulated Gas
Employees 201-500
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FY2017 Annual Report · Genworth MI Canada Inc
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ANNUAL REPORT 2017

KEY FINANCIAL METRICS

Premium

2
1
5

0
4
6

2013

2014

Net Operat

9
4
3

6
6
3

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

2

FIVE YEAR FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

($ millions, except per share 
data or otherwise noted) 

Financial results 
Premiums written 
Premiums earned 
Net operating income 
Net income 
Total assets 
Total shareholders’ equity 

Other fi nancial measures
Loss ratio 
Expense ratio 
Combined ratio 
Minimum Capital Test ratio 
Operating return on equity 

1

Per share data
Book value per share 
(diluted, incl. AOCI) 

Operating earnings per share 

(diluted) 

Dividends per share 

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013

663 
676 
467 
528 
6,924 
3,961 

10% 
20% 
30% 
172% 
13% 

43.13 

5.09 
1.79 

760 
638 
388 
417 
6,612 
3,649 

22% 
19% 
41% 
245% 
11% 

39.28 

4.23 
1.70 

809 
586 
375 
398 
6,239 
3,420 

21% 
18% 
39% 
234% 
12% 

36.82 

4.05 
1.59 

640 
565 
366 
377 
5,770 
3,271 

20% 
19% 
39% 
225% 
12% 

35.02 

3.86 
1.87 

512
573
349
375
5,691
3,087

25%
20%
44%
223%
12%

32.53

3.60
1.31

1

1

1

1   Eff ective January 1, 2017, the 2016 holding target MCT ratio of 220% was recalibrated to the OSFI Supervisory MCT ratio target of 150% and the minimum 
  MCT ratio under PRMHIA was reduced to 150%.

At Genworth Canada, we employ 270 of the smartest and 
most dedicated people in the mortgage default insurance 
industry. We support them with smart technology that taps 
into our proprietary database-driven decision making.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER? Because in our business, 
Smarter MI means a better customer experience 
and enhanced risk management.

And that 
matters to 
all of us.

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

1

 
 
   
Dear fellow shareholders,

2017 was another strong year for Genworth Canada, with 

outstanding underwriting results, and continued strength in 

portfolio quality. On the economic front, we saw strength in labour 

markets across most regions of the country, and an ongoing 

recovery in oil producing sectors. In the housing markets, we 

generally saw favourable conditions, particularly in the Greater 

Toronto and Vancouver areas. We also saw the beginning of what 

should amount to a normalization phase as changes made by both 

the federal and provincial governments, together with the impact 

of rising rates and the B-20 mortgage rate stress test are leading 

to slowing sales and stabilizing prices. This should bode well for 

longer term stability and aff ordability. Ultimately, the fundamentals 

around the housing market remain sound, with a strong desire for 

home ownership, and a pipeline of future fi rst-time homebuyers 

supported by the federal government’s immigration targets.

In this letter, I will discuss our results for 2017, and provide a view 

on our outlook and strategic priorities for the coming year.

Delivering consistently strong performance

Our 2017 results illustrate the strength and soundness of our business model. Compared to 2016, we delivered positive 

changes across a number of key metrics including:

•  20 per cent higher operating earnings per share,

• 

10 per cent increase in book value per share, on $4.0 billion in shareholders’ equity,

•  7 per cent increase in the quarterly dividend paid to shareholders in Q4 ‘17, and;

•  5 per cent growth in total assets to $6.9 billion.

I trust this overview, along with our quarterly disclosures, provides you with a deeper understanding of our business 

and instills in you the same level of confi dence that I have in the strength, profi tability and long-term sustainability of 

Genworth Canada. 

2017 was a more challenging year as it relates to market size and resulting new insurance business volumes, 

predominantly as a result of regulatory and legislative changes that eliminated certain products in the low loan-

to-value or portfolio insurance segment and reduced the purchasing power of fi rst-time homebuyers through the 

introduction of the insured mortgage qualifying rate stress test in late 2016. While the impact of these changes were in 

line with our expectations, the market has become more challenging for fi rst-time buyers to enter. As discussed above, 

we are pleased with the normalization trends underway in major housing markets, as this ultimately bodes well for 

fi rst-time homebuyer participation over the medium to long term. 

That said, our market share position remained strong during the year, and while our served market shrunk, higher 

transactional premium rates from the March 2017 premium rate increase, drove $663 million in annual premiums written 

from both transactional and portfolio insurance.

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

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Another key driver of our overall performance is our proactive risk management strategy and comprehensive 

underwriting practices. These have driven a high-quality, well-diversifi ed insurance portfolio, which serves to reduce 

performance volatility throughout all phases of the economic cycle. This is evident in the 10 per cent loss ratio we 

delivered for the full year, a clear refl ection of the strength of our risk management and underwriting expertise along 

with the benefi ts of a high-quality portfolio maturing in an extremely positive economic environment. It also refl ects our 

loss mitigation programs which have proven to add tremendous value both fi nancially, and to the strong relationships 

we have with our lenders and their borrowers.

As an organization, we remain focused on delivering continued business execution, facilitated by three key themes: 

being people powered, customer centric, and data driven. Simply put, we have some of the best people in this industry, 

and they are key to our competitive diff erentiation in the market. We are also highly focused on the needs of our 

customers and have built our business around the customer. 

Customer Focused 

Genworth Canada’s success is built on creating and 

Fitness Survey designed to help Canadians assess 

maintaining value-added customer relationships at 

their fi nancial fi tness. 

all levels within our diverse customers. Everyone in 

the Company is empowered to respond to customer 

needs and to deliver value beyond the mortgage 

insurance transaction. We grow our market share 

through brand-defi ning customer experiences at 

every point of interaction. We strive to understand 

our customer’s business goals and objectives, to help 

them grow their business, reduce costs and originate 

high-quality loans. 

Off ering hope in times of need, Genworth Canada’s 

Homeowner Assistance Program, often referred to 

as “HOAP”, helps qualifi ed homeowners weather 

short-term fi nancial hardship without sacrifi cing their 

homeownership dreams. Over the years, we have 

helped more than 40,000 Genworth Canada-insured 

homeowners stay in their homes during times of 

fi nancial pressure, normally caused by short-term job 

loss, marital separation, illness or other unexpected 

Our customers view Genworth Canada as an 

situations that aff ected their incomes.

essential resource; a company that enables fi rst-time 

homeownership, and provides value-added sales 

and service experiences, and thought leadership on 

emerging issues, including home buyer, real estate 

market trends and regulatory developments. While 

our value proposition extends across a wide variety 

of service off erings, the area of industry education 

and professional development is one for which we 

are particularly well-known.

Genworth Canada’s reputation as the leading private 

residential mortgage insurer was not achieved by 

default, but rather by design. We intend to maintain 

our reputation through continued investments in 

our people, processes, and technology thought 

leadership. A priority is ensuring that our team has a 

deep understanding of the economic and competitive 

climate we operate in, and that they are equipped 

with the right information and tools to deliver the 

To further support our thought leadership, we 

best customer experience. We will continue to deliver 

commission market research and surveys on a bi-

an enhanced customer experience, deepen our lender 

annual basis. Most notable is the Genworth Canada 

relationships and ultimately drive growth. Genworth 

First-Time Homebuyers Study, which looks at the 

Canada’s common-sense underwriting approach, 

trends and behaviours of today’s generation of fi rst-

personalized and accessible services along with our 

time homebuyers. We also continue to monitor the 

knowledgeable and dedicated team will continue 

fi nancial health of Canadians through our partnership 

to diff erentiate Genworth Canada as the mortgage 

with the Canadian Association of Credit Counselling 

insurer of choice.

Services (CACCS) and have developed a Financial 

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

3

Finally, we continue to leverage the power of our 20+ years of performance data. It helps us to be proactive and 

thoughtful regarding data analytics, modeling for potential losses, stress testing, and infl uencing our regulatory 

environment. Genworth Canada is a recognized thought leader in both the mortgage and housing industries, and we 

believe these critical factors will continue to contribute to the success we have enjoyed for many years.

Supporting sound regulatory policy

Without question, the mortgage industry has experienced much change and disruption over the last number of years. 

It is clear however that the changes are beginning to take hold, leading to a normalization trend in major markets 

across the country. While most of the regulatory changes over the past decade have been focused on the insured 

mortgage segment, driving signifi cant improvements in the overall quality of our insured loan portfolio, the recent 

round of changes are clearly more focused on the uninsured mortgage segment, which is helping to restore some 

parity between qualifying criteria for both insured and uninsured borrowers.

We support the recent regulatory changes and the stance of provincial governments with respect to Canada’s varied 

and unique regional housing markets. Many of these eff orts are focused on improving aff ordability and market 

stabilization. Genworth Canada is routinely called upon by various governmental stakeholders to provide our views and 

share our knowledge on the housing and mortgage markets. We place a great deal of importance on this. It is our duty 

to provide thoughtful analysis to aid in the policy makers’ eff orts to help overall aff ordability and access to responsible 

housing for Canadians. 

Building stronger communities across Canada

The success of our business stems from collaboration and long-standing relationships with lenders, mortgage brokers, 

realtors, builders and industry associations across Canada. An underlying theme binds us together: our passion for 

helping Canadians achieve responsible homeownership and for helping to build stronger communities in all parts of 

the country. I am proud to say that Genworth Canada promotes a culture of giving and active volunteerism that is 

embraced by our people. In 2017 Genworth Canada donated over $800,000 to support aff ordable housing, food banks, 

shelter, medical research, fi nancial literacy and other important causes. In addition, our employees volunteered more 

than 3,400 hours in support of charities across the country, and raised more than $120,000 through fundraising and 

personal donations. Genworth Canada is proud to be recognized with the Corporation of the Year award in 2017 by the 

Association of Fundraising Professionals for its community involvement. You can fi nd out more about our commitment 

to building stronger communities across Canada in our 2017 Public Accountability Statement.

Culture and values

In 2017, we started a series of business initiatives under the umbrella of ‘Smarter M.I.’ The goal of Smarter M.I. is 

ultimately to improve customer experience and risk management practices. Smarter M.I. focuses on enhancing the 

customer experience by leveraging our extensive performance data and the creativity of our people to develop 

enhancements to our risk management, underwriting, and loss mitigation processes. We are encouraged by our results 

to date and are focused on the second round of Smarter M.I. initiatives in 2018. In 2017, we also took the opportunity 

to re-visit our corporate culture and enterprise values in support of our business strategy. As a result, we clarifi ed the 

behavior and beliefs we embrace as an organization. Our values refl ect the following key attributes: customer centric, 

integrity, collaboration, growth, and heart. We focus on providing a best-in-class customer experience. We do so with 

an unyielding integrity. We embrace collaboration and believe that more minds make better solutions. We create 

opportunities for employee growth, because the whole organization grows when employees grow. Finally, we foster a 

giving value that promotes the spirit of caring, for each other as well as the communities in which we live. We believe 

that giving back to the communities in which we work and live pays tremendous dividends, not just in goodwill and in 

how our employees feel about our company, but in the diff erence it makes in the lives of those who we impact.

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

4

Looking forward to the future

With respect to our future, we see a number of key themes that will infl uence our business in 2018: a positive albeit 

somewhat moderating macro-economic climate, ongoing normalization of housing markets, stability in mortgage 

qualifying criteria and strong underlying fi rst-time homebuyer fundamentals. Our eff orts remain focused on providing a 

best-in-class customer service experience and driving mortgage industry thought leadership.

Our key strategic priorities are therefore as follows:

1. 

Invest in process innovation and technology to drive an improved customer experience;

2.  Continue to exercise prudent risk management and proactive loss mitigation;

3.  Leverage our data and mortgage expertise to infl uence our regulatory environment, and;

4.  Maintain an effi  cient capital structure to ensure capital strength while maximizing ROE.

In summary, we believe execution on these priorities will preserve portfolio quality and drive solid underwriting results, 

producing another year of strong profi tability in 2018.

Thank you for your continued support.

Stuart Levings

President and

Chief Executive Offi  cer

Leadership Team, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada:

From left to right: Michel Cubric, SVP, Operations; Philip Mayers, SVP, Chief Financial Offi  cer; Debbie McPherson, SVP, Sales & Marketing; Stuart Levings, President and CEO; 
Mary-Jo Hewat, SVP, Human Resources and Facilities; Winsor Macdonell, SVP, General Counsel and Secretary; Craig Sweeney, SVP, Chief Risk Offi  cer

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

5

Brian Hurley
Chairman of the Board

To all of our stakeholders,

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank 

each and every one of you for your support and trust. 

We are proud to be part of a business organization 

that sits at the intersection of housing, the mortgage 

markets and indeed, the broader economy. This 

organization has seen a great deal in its history in 

Canada, and has served the nation well for over 20 

years. As Chairman, it is my responsibility to provide 

stewardship to the Board. Along with the rest of the 

Board, our mandate is to deliver guidance and oversight 

to this dynamic enterprise. Additionally, the Board 

functions as a check-and-balance for management, and 

truly represents all stakeholders’ interests equally.

Our purpose

For over two decades, our business has worked tirelessly 

to help Canadians get into homes in a responsible way. 

Homeownership has historically helped many individuals 

build wealth and fosters a sense of community. As a 

leading mortgage insurance company, we are proud to 

provide this and other unique value to Canadians.

In 2017, as in the case of many prior years, we saw 

signifi cant change. However, with signifi cant change 

comes meaningful opportunities. And last year we 

capitalized upon those opportunities with the business 

remaining focused on executing on our strategic 

priorities. On behalf of the Board, I would like to extend 

my sincere congratulations to our President and CEO 

Stuart Levings, our leadership team, as well as all of our 

employees across Canada for their strong dedication 

and execution.

Board focus

Our Board’s primary focus is concentrated on a few 

critical areas: risk management, talent development, 

strategic oversight, and eff ective governance. As 

a mortgage insurer, the management of risk is one 

of our most critical undertakings. And as a Board, 

we challenge management, and leverage our broad 

experience, ensuring that we are putting the “right” 

risk on the books with due consideration to the 

economic environment in which we are operating. The 

development of talent is one of our key organizational 

priorities and the Board is focused on developing 

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

6

and retaining key people. Employee development will 

The critical aptitudes for the Board include: fi nancial, risk 

continue to be a priority and we are focused on helping 

management, business leadership, legal and governance 

to drive this initiative deep into the organization.

profi ciency. The position of Lead Independent Director 

With regard to enterprise strategy, our role as a board is 

to provide oversight, drawing on our varied experiences, 

and we remain dedicated to improving performance 

is also an important one; focused on facilitating the 

functioning of the Board independently of Company 

management.

to drive stakeholder value. Last but certainly not least, 

Driving stakeholder value

governance is of paramount importance. Part of our 

role is to ensure governance is the best it can be, and 

we conduct a robust rhythm of review, and regular 

interactive sessions focused on governance. The drive 

of these sessions is to ask challenging questions, probe 

at potential risk areas within the business, and explore 

other business opportunities.

Board depth and breadth

Our Board is made up of seasoned professionals with 

decades of experience in their respective fi elds. We 

review experience and Board composition on a regular 

basis, ensuring that the Board’s make up of skills and 

Our Board is truly dedicated to generating and 

sustaining stakeholder value. Going forward, this will 

remain our focus. Once again, I would like to thank the 

management team, and my fellow Board members 

for all their dedication over the past year and prior 

years. I would like to also express my gratitude to our 

customers, shareholders, employees and other key 

stakeholders, for all their respective contributions. 

experience are diverse, meaningful and relevant. 

Brian Hurley

Chairman of the Board

Directors of Genworth MI Canada Inc. and its operating subsidiary, Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada:

From left to right: Rohit Gupta, Andrea Bolger, Jerome Upton, Sidney Horn, Leon Roday, 
Brian Kelly, Brian Hurley, Sharon Giff en, Stuart Levings, Neil Parkinson and John Walker

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

7

Shareholder Information

Exchange Listing
The Toronto Stock Exchange:
Common shares (MIC)

Common Shares
As at December 31, 2017, there were 90,942,040 common 
shares (basic) outstanding.

Independent Auditors
KPMG LLP
Bay Adelaide Centre
333 Bay Street, Suite 4600
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2S5

Registrar and Transfer Agent
AST Trust Company (Canada)
1 Toronto Street, Suite 1200
Toronto, Ontario M5V 2V6
Tel: 416-682-3800
Fax: 1-877-715-0494
astfi nancial.com/ca-en

All inquiries related to address changes, elimination of 
multiple mailings, transfer of MIC shares, dividends or other 
shareholder account issues should be forwarded to the offi  ces 
of AST Trust Company.

Investor Relations
Shareholders, security analysts and investment professionals 
should direct inquiries to:

Jonathan A. Pinto
Vice-President, Investor Relations
investor@genworth.com

Additional fi nancial information has been fi led electronically 
with various securities regulators in Canada through the System 
for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval (SEDAR) and 
with the Offi  ce of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions 
(OSFI) as the primary regulator for the Company’s subsidiary, 
Genworth Financial Mortgage Insurance Company Canada.

The Company holds a conference call following the release of 
its quarterly results. These calls are archived in the Investor 
Relations section of the Company’s website.

Annual General Meeting of Shareholders 
Date: Wednesday, June 6th, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: TMX Broadcast Centre
The Exchange Tower
130 King Street West
Toronto, Ontario M5X 1J2

Board of Directors
Complaints about the Company’s internal accounting controls 
or auditing matters or any other concerns may be addressed 
directly to the Board of Directors or the Audit Committee at:

Board of Directors
Genworth MI Canada Inc.
c/o Winsor Macdonell, Secretary
2060 Winston Park Drive, Suite 300
Oakville, Ontario L6H 5R7
Tel: 905-287-5484

GENWORTH CANADA ANNUAL REPORT  2017

Corporate Ombudsperson
Concerns related to compliance with the law, Genworth 
policies or government contracting requirements may be 
directed to:

Genworth Ombudsperson
2060 Winston Park Drive, Suite 300
Oakville, Ontario L6H 5R7
Tel: 905-287-5510
Canada-ombudsperson@genworth.com

Disclosure Documents
Corporate governance, disclosure and other investor 
information is available online from the Investor Relations 
pages of the Company’s website at:
http://investor.genworthmicanada.ca

Cautionary Statements
The cautionary statements included in the Company’s 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis and Annual 
Information Form, including the “Special note regarding 
forward-looking statements” and the “Non-IFRS fi nancial 
measures,” also apply to this Annual Report and all 
information and documents included herein. These documents 
can be found at www.sedar.com.

Common Share Dividend Policy
The declaration and payment of dividends and the amount 
thereof are at the discretion of the Board, which takes into 
account the Company’s fi nancial results, capital requirements, 
available cash fl ow and other factors the Board considers 
relevant from time to time.

Eligible Dividend Designation
For purposes of the dividend tax credit rules contained in the 
Income Tax Act (Canada) and any corresponding provincial or 
territorial tax legislation, all dividends (and deemed dividends) 
paid by Genworth MI Canada Inc. to Canadian residents are 
designated as eligible dividends. Unless stated otherwise, 
all dividends (and deemed dividends) paid by the Company 
hereafter are designated as eligible dividends for the purposes 
of such rules.

Information for Shareholders Outside Canada
Dividends paid to residents in countries with which Canada has 
bilateral tax treaties are generally subject to the 15% Canadian 
non-resident withholding tax. There is no Canadian tax on 
gains from the sale of shares (assuming ownership of less than 
25%) or debt instruments of the Company owned by non-
residents not carrying on business in Canada. (No government 
in Canada levies estate taxes or succession duties.)

Contact
Investor Relations
Email: investor@genworth.com
Genworth MI Canada
2060 Winston Park Drive, Suite 300
Oakville, Ontario L6H 5R7
Tel: 905.287.5300
Fax: 905.287.5472
www.genworth.ca

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