15. Statutory Insurance Financial Information

Principal Life, the largest indirect subsidiary of PFG, prepares statutory financial statements in accordance with the accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the Insurance Division of the Department of Commerce of the State of Iowa (the "State of Iowa"). The State of Iowa recognizes only statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the State of Iowa for determining and reporting the financial condition and results of operations of an insurance company to determine its solvency under the Iowa Insurance Law. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' ("NAIC") Accounting Practices and Procedures Manual has been adopted as a component of prescribed practices by the State of Iowa. The Commissioner has the right to permit other specific practices that deviate from prescribed practices. For the years ended, December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, Principal Life's use of prescribed statutory accounting practices resulted in higher (lower) statutory net income of $12.2 million, $3.8 million and $(2.1) million, respectively, relative to the accounting practices and procedures of the NAIC due to its accounting for derivatives that hedge some of its equity indexed products. In addition, as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, Principal Life's permitted statutory accounting practice relating to variable annuities with a guaranteed living benefit rider resulted in lower statutory surplus of $123.9 million and $180.5 million, respectively, relative to carrying certain interest rate swaps at book value rather than fair value, as if they received hedge accounting treatment for statutory. Statutory accounting practices differ from U.S. GAAP primarily due to charging policy acquisition costs to expense as incurred, establishing reserves using different actuarial assumptions, valuing investments on a different basis and not admitting certain assets, including certain net deferred income tax assets.

Principal Life cedes certain term and universal life insurance statutory reserves to our affiliated reinsurance subsidiaries on a funds withheld coinsurance basis. The reserves are secured by cash, invested assets and financing provided by highly rated third parties. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, our affiliated reinsurance subsidiaries assumed statutory reserves of $5,977.3 million and $4,734.0 million from Principal Life, respectively. In the states of Vermont and Delaware, the affiliated reinsurers had permitted and prescribed practices allowing for the admissibility of certain assets backing these reserves. As of December 31, 2017 and 2016, assets admitted under these practices totaled $2,417.7 million and $1,809.0 million, respectively.

Life and health insurance companies are subject to certain risk-based capital ("RBC") requirements as specified by the NAIC. Under those requirements, the amount of capital and surplus maintained by a life and health insurance company is to be determined based on the various risk factors related to it. As of December 31, 2017, Principal Life met the minimum RBC requirements.

Statutory net income and statutory capital and surplus of Principal Life were as follows:

	As of or for the year ended December 31,
	2017		2016		2015
	(in millions)
Statutory net income	$	1,976.7	$	996.7	$	948.6
Statutory capital and surplus		4,946.8		4,643.8		4,496.7