Accounting Changes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Disclosure of Accounting Changes [Abstract]

Accounting Changes

(2) Accounting Changes

Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted

On January 1, 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance related to disclosure requirements for defined benefit plans as part of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (the “FASB”) disclosure framework project. The guidance adds, eliminates and modifies certain disclosure requirements for defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans. We adopted this new accounting guidance using the retrospective method, which did not have a significant impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

On January 1, 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance related to fair value disclosure requirements as part of the FASB’s disclosure framework project. The guidance adds, eliminates and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements. The guidance includes new disclosure requirements related to changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income (loss) for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period and the range and weighted-average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements. We adopted this new accounting guidance using the prospective method for disclosures related to changes in unrealized gains and losses included in other comprehensive income (loss) for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements held at the end of the reporting period, the range and weighted-average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty and the retrospective method for all other disclosures. This accounting guidance did not impact our condensed consolidated financial statements but impacted our fair value disclosures.

In March 2020, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to reference rate reform, which was effective for us on January 1, 2020. The guidance provides temporary guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for, or recognizing the effects of, reference rate reform, which includes the transition away from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). This new guidance provides optional practical expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to investments, derivatives or other transactions affected by reference rate reform such as those that impact the assessment of derivative hedge effectiveness and contract modifications, to include continuing hedge accounting when certain critical terms of a hedging relationship change and modifying certain effectiveness assessments to exclude certain potential sources of ineffectiveness. In addition to the optional practical expedients, the guidance includes a general principle that permits an entity to consider contract modifications due to reference rate reform to be an event that does not require contract remeasurement at the modification date or reassessment of a previous accounting determination. We adopted this guidance prospectively and it did not have a significant impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements or disclosures. However, the amendments in this guidance may be elected over time through December 31, 2022 as reference rate reform activities occur and therefore, this guidance may impact our procedures, including our process for assessing the effectiveness of our cash flow hedging relationships, determined on an individual hedge basis, as we implement measures to transition away from LIBOR.

On January 1, 2020, we adopted new accounting guidance related to accounting for credit losses on financial instruments. The guidance requires entities to recognize an allowance equal to its estimate of lifetime expected credit losses and applies to most financial instruments not measured at fair value, which primarily

includes our commercial mortgage loans, bank loan investments and reinsurance recoverables. The new guidance also requires the recognition of an allowance for expected credit losses as a liability in our consolidated balance sheet for off-balance sheet credit exposures, including commitments to fund bank loan investments, private placement investments and commercial mortgage loans. The new guidance did not have a significant impact on other assets not measured at fair value. The FASB also issued an amendment to the guidance allowing entities to irrevocably elect the fair value option on an instrument-by-instrument basis for eligible instruments, which we did not elect.

For our commercial mortgage loans, we determine the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses utilizing an analytical model that provides various loss scenarios based on historical experience adjusted for current events, trends, economic conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that result in a loss in the loan portfolio over the estimated life of the loans. We revert to historical credit loss experience for periods beyond forecasts that are reasonable and supportable. The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective basis with consideration for debt service coverage ratio, debt-to-value, property-type and geographic location. Key inputs into the analytical model include exposure, weighted-average life, return, historical loss rates and forecast scenarios. Actual amounts realized over time could differ from the amounts estimated for the allowance for credit losses reported in the condensed consolidated financial statements. Commercial mortgage loans are written off against the allowance to the extent principal or interest is deemed uncollectible. Accrued interest related to commercial mortgage loans is included in accrued investment income in our condensed consolidated balance sheet and had a carrying value of $24 million as of September 30, 2020. We do not measure an allowance for credit losses related to accrued interest as uncollectible accrued interest related to our commercial mortgage loans are written off after 90 days and once collectability is determined to be uncertain and not probable. Amounts written off related to accrued interest are recorded as a credit loss expense included in net investment gains (losses).

We adopted the guidance related to our investments carried at amortized cost using the modified retrospective method and recorded an allowance related to lifetime expected credit losses of $23 million, net of deferred taxes of $6 million, for commercial mortgage loans and bank loan investments, with an offset to cumulative effect of change in accounting within retained earnings. See note 4 for additional disclosures related to commercial mortgage loans. We adopted the guidance related to our off-balance sheet credit exposures using the modified retrospective method and recorded an allowance related to lifetime expected credit losses of $1 million, included in other liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheet, with an offset to cumulative effect of change in accounting within retained earnings.

The allowance for credit losses for reinsurance recoverables is evaluated based on historical loss experience adjusted for current events and reasonable and supportable forecasts from both internal and external sources. The allowance is measured by reinsurer, taking into consideration the reinsured product type and collateral type, and is calculated based on an externally reported probability of default corresponding to the reinsurer’s credit rating and the expected duration of the reinsurer’s contractual obligation to reimburse us for ceded claims on the underlying policies. Our estimate of the allowance reflects consideration for collateral securing the reinsurance agreements and expected recoveries of amounts previously charged off and expected to be charged off. We also consider other credit risk factors, including, among other factors, the historical frequency and severity of the associated insurance claims, aging of recoverables and regulatory, legal and economic factors, to determine if an additional incremental allowance for credit losses is required. No reversion adjustments are necessary as the starting point for our allowance for credit losses reflects historical loss experience covering the expected duration of the reinsurer’s contractual obligation to reimburse us. If available facts and circumstances indicate the reinsurance recoverable does not reflect expectations consistent with the collective analysis, the reinsurance

recoverable is assessed on a separate basis. Write-offs of reinsurance recoverables are deducted from the allowance in the period the reinsurance recoverable is determined to be uncollectible. We adopted the guidance related to our reinsurance recoverables using the modified retrospective method and recorded an allowance related to lifetime expected credit losses of $31 million, net of deferred taxes of $9 million, with an offset to cumulative effect of change in accounting within retained earnings. See note 8 for additional disclosures related to reinsurance recoverables.

The new guidance retains most of the existing impairment guidance for available-for-sale fixed maturity securities but amends the presentation of credit losses to reflect an allowance for credit losses as opposed to a write-down of the amortized cost of the investment and permits the reversal of credit losses through net income (loss) when reassessing changes in credit losses each reporting period. Available-for-sale fixed maturity securities in an unrealized loss position are evaluated to determine whether the decline in fair value is related to credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, we consider the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency/agencies and adverse conditions specifically related to the security, among other factors. If a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, an allowance for credit losses is recorded, limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis. Estimating the cash flows expected to be collected is a quantitative and qualitative process that incorporates information received from third-party sources along with internal assumptions and judgments. When developing the estimate of cash flows expected to be collected, we utilize an analytical model that provides for various loss scenarios and consider the industry sector, current levels of subordination, geographic location and other relevant characteristics of the security or underlying assets, as well as reasonable and supportable forecasts. Losses are written off against the allowance when deemed uncollectible or when we intend to sell or expect we will be required to sell a security prior to recovering our amortized cost. We exclude accrued interest related to available-for-sale fixed maturity securities from the estimate of allowance for credit losses. Accrued interest is included in accrued investment income in our condensed consolidated balance sheet and had a carrying value of $565 million as of September 30, 2020. We do not measure an allowance for credit losses related to accrued interest as uncollectible accrued interest related to our available-for-sale fixed maturity securities are written off after 90 days and once collectability is determined to be uncertain and not probable. Amounts written off related to accrued interest are recorded as a credit loss expense included in net investment gains (losses). We adopted the guidance related to our available-for-sale fixed maturity securities for which a previous other-than-temporary impairment was recognized prior to the date of adoption using the prospective method and the modified retrospective method for all other available-for-sale fixed maturity securities, which did not have any impact upon adoption.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In December 2019, the FASB issued new accounting guidance related to simplifying the accounting for income taxes. The guidance eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The guidance is currently effective for us on January 1, 2021 using the retrospective method or modified retrospective method for certain changes and prospective method for all other changes, with early adoption permitted. We do not expect a significant impact from this guidance on our condensed consolidated financial statements and disclosures.

In August 2018, the FASB issued new accounting guidance that significantly changes the recognition and measurement of long-duration insurance contracts and expands disclosure requirements, which impacts our life 

insurance deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”) and liabilities. In accordance with the guidance, the more significant changes include:

• assumptions will no longer be locked-in at contract inception and all cash flow assumptions used to estimate the liability for future policy benefits (except the discount rate) will be reviewed at least annually in the same period each year or more frequently if actual experience indicates a change is required. Changes will be recorded in net income (loss) using a retrospective approach with a cumulative catch-up adjustment by recalculating the net premium ratio (which will be capped at 100%) using actual historical and updated future cash flow assumptions;

• the discount rate used to determine the liability for future policy benefits will be a current upper-medium grade (low credit risk) fixed-income instrument yield, which is generally interpreted to mean a single-A rated bond rate for the same duration, and is required to be reviewed quarterly, with changes in the discount rate recorded in other comprehensive income (loss);

• the provision for adverse deviation and the premium deficiency test will be eliminated;

• market risk benefits associated with deposit-type contracts will be measured at fair value with changes related to instrument-specific credit risk recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and remaining changes recorded in net income (loss);

• the amortization method for DAC will generally be on a straight-line basis over the expected contract term; and

• disclosures will be greatly expanded to include significant assumptions and product liability rollforwards.

We expect this guidance to be effective for us on January 1, 2023, subject to the FASB finalizing an additional one-year delay, using the modified retrospective method, with early adoption permitted, which we do not intend to elect. Given the nature and extent of the changes to our operations, this guidance is expected to have a significant impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements.