Accounting Policies Pending Accounting Updates (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Adopted Accounting Updates and Pending Accounting Updates

Adopted Accounting Updates

ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, as well as additional implementation related ASU's in 2018, 2019 and 2020. These ASU’s amend previous guidance on the impairment of financial instruments by adding an impairment model that allows an entity to recognize expected credit losses as an allowance rather than impairing as they are incurred. The new guidance is intended to reduce complexity of credit impairment models and result in a more timely recognition of expected credit losses. The standards require the company to consider all relevant information at the time of estimating the expected credit loss, including past events, the current environment, and reasonable and supportable forecasts over the life of the asset.

These ASU's also eliminated the other-than-temporary impairment model for available for sale fixed-maturity securities by requiring that credit related impairments be recognized through an allowance account. Changes in the allowance account are recorded in the period of change as a credit loss expense or reversal of credit loss expense. The measurement of credit losses is not impacted, except that credit losses recognized are limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost and that the length of time that a security has been below amortized cost cannot be considered. These ASU's retain the guidance requiring that impaired securities intended to be sold have their amortized cost basis written down to fair value through net income.

The company adopted these ASU's on January 1, 2020, and applied them on a modified retrospective basis. As a result of this adoption, an after-tax cumulative effect decrease of $2 million was made to retained earnings representing an increase to the overall valuation allowances for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. These ASU's will be applied to available for sale fixed-maturity securities prospectively with no adjustments to the amortized cost basis of securities for which an other-than-temporary impairment had been previously recognized. The company has elected not to measure expected credit losses for accrued interest receivables related to its finance receivables and fixed-maturity securities.

Pending Accounting Updates

ASU 2018-12, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-12, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts. ASU 2018-12 is intended to improve the timeliness of recognizing changes in the liability for future policy benefits and modify the rate used to discount future cash flows. The ASU will simplify and improve the accounting for certain market-based options or guarantees associated with deposit or account balance contracts and simplify amortization of deferred acquisition costs while improving and expanding required disclosures. In November 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-09, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Effective Date. ASU 2019-09 delayed the effective date of ASU 2018-12 by one year to interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2021. In July 2020, the FASB issued a proposed ASU that would further delay the effective date of ASU 2018-12 by an additional year to interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2022. These ASU's have not yet been adopted. Management is currently evaluating the impact on our company's consolidated financial position, cash flows and results of operations.