General (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Consolidation

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP). Intercompany amounts have been eliminated. Certain financial information that is normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, including certain financial statement notes, is not required for interim reporting purposes and has been condensed or omitted. These statements should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in CNAF's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the year ended December 31, 2016, including the summary of significant accounting policies in Note A.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results may differ from those estimates.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Updates and Accounting Standards Pending Adoption

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards Updates (ASU)

In March 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvementsto Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting. The updated accounting guidance simplifies the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. As of January 1, 2017, the Company adopted the updated accounting guidanceand began recognizing excess tax benefits or deficiencies on vesting or settlement of awards as an income tax benefit or expense within net income, instead of additional paid-in capital as required under previous guidance. The related cash flows are now classified within operating activities. As a result of this change, excess tax benefits are no longer included in assumed proceeds under the treasury stock method of calculating earnings per share. The impact of the accounting change resulted in a decrease of $2 million and $5 million to income tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017.

Accounting Standards Pending Adoption

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue Recognition (Topic 606): Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The standard excludes from its scope the accounting for insurance contracts, financial instruments, and certain other agreements that are governed under other GAAP guidance. The updated guidance requires an entity to recognize revenue as performance obligations are met, in an amount that reflects the consideration the entity is entitled to receive for the transfer of the promised goods or services. The standard is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and may be applied retrospectively or through a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings at the date of adoption.  While the Company continues to evaluate the impacts of this new guidance on the Consolidated financial statements, including disclosures, the Company expects that revenue on warranty products and services will be recognized more slowly than under the current revenue recognition pattern.  For a significant portion of warranty products, the Company also expects Other revenues and Other operating expenses to increase to reflect the gross amount paid by consumers to the auto dealer that acts as the Company's agent. The Company expects to adopt this guidance using the modified retrospective approach. While the cumulative effect of adoption using the modified retrospective approach may be significant, the Company does not expect the impact of the new guidance to be material to its results of operations or financial position.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments-Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities.  The updated accounting guidance requires changes to the reporting model for financial instruments.  The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  The Company expects the primary change to be the requirement for equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Upon adoption, the Company will recognize an adjustment for the cumulative amount of unrealized investment gains and losses related to available-for-sale equity securities within the opening balances of Retained earnings and Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). The Company does not expect the impact of adopting ASU 2016-01 to have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial position.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842): Accounting for Leases. The updated accounting guidance requires lessees to recognize on the balance sheet the assets and liabilities for the rights and obligations created by all leases, including those historically accounted for as operating leases. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the updated guidance will have on the Company's financial statements. It is expected that assets and liabilities will increase based on the present value of remaining lease payments for leases in place at the adoption date; however, this is not expected to be material to the Company's results of operations or financial position.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurementof Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. The updated accounting guidance requires changes to the recognition of credit losses on financial instruments not accounted for at fair value through net income. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the guidance will have on the Company's financial statements, but expects the primary changes to be the use of the expected credit loss model for its mortgage loan portfolio and reinsurance receivables and the presentation of credit losses within the available-for-sale fixed maturities portfolio through an allowance method rather than as a direct write-down. The expected credit loss model will require a financial asset to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The allowance method for available-for-sale debt securities will allow the Company to record reversals of credit losses if the estimate of credit losses declines.

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-07, Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715): Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. The updated accounting guidance requires changes to the presentation of the components of net periodic benefit cost on the income statement by requiring service cost to be presented with other employee compensation costs and other components of net periodic pension cost to be presented outside of any subtotal of operating income. The ASU also stipulates that only the service cost component of net benefit cost is eligible for capitalization. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the effect the guidance will have on the Company's financial statements.