Mercury General To Pay Dividend

Mercury General Corp., a California automobile insurer with operations in several other states, has declared a first quarter dividend of $.265, an annual rate of $1.06,representing a 10.4 percent increase over the rate paid in 2000.

The increased dividend will be paid on March 29, 2001 to shareholders of record on March 15,2001. Since dividends were instituted in the first quarter of 1986, Mercury General’s dividend has increased at least once each year with the over all compound rate of increase over fifteen years averaging 22 percent.