Accounting Pronouncements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]

New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Text Block]

ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS RECENTLY ADOPTED

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), with the main objective to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses on financial instruments and other commitments to extend credit held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. The ASU requires a financial asset (or a group of financial assets) measured at amortized cost to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the amortized cost of the financial asset(s) to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The income statement reflects the measurement of credit losses for newly recognized financial assets, as well as the increases or decreases of expected credit losses that have taken place during the period. Credit losses on available-for-sale ("AFS") fixed maturity securities should be measured in a manner similar to current U.S. GAAP; however, the credit losses are recorded through an allowance for credit losses rather than as a write-down. This approach is an improvement to prior U.S. GAAP because an entity will be able to record reversals of credit losses (in situations in which the estimate of credit losses declines) in current period net income, which in turn should align the income statement recognition of credit losses with the reporting period in which changes occur. Prior U.S. GAAP prohibited reflecting those improvements in current-period earnings. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective approach. The adoption resulted in an increase in accumulated deficit of $0.4 million related to agents' debit balance collectability.

ACCOUNTING STANDARDS NOT YET ADOPTED

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-12, Financial Services-Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts. This ASU amends four key areas of the accounting and impacts disclosures for long-duration insurance and investment contracts:

•Requires updated assumptions for liability measurement. Assumptions used to measure the liability for traditional insurance contracts, which are typically determined at contract inception, will now be reviewed at least annually, and, if there is a change, updated, with the effect recorded in net income;

•Standardizes the liability discount rate. The liability discount rate will be a market-observable discount rate (upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield), with the effect of rate changes recorded in other comprehensive income;

•Provides greater consistency in measurement of market risk benefits. The two previous measurement models have been reduced to one measurement model (fair value), resulting in greater uniformity across similar market-based benefits and better alignment with the fair value measurement of derivatives used to hedge capital market risk;

•Simplifies amortization of deferred acquisition costs ("DAC"). Previous earnings-based amortization methods have been replaced with a more level amortization basis; and

•Requires enhanced disclosures. The new disclosures include rollforwards and information about significant assumptions and the effects of changes in those assumptions.

For calendar-year public companies, the changes will be effective on January 1, 2023, however, early adoption is permitted. The Company is evaluating the impact of this new guidance, and it is expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

No other new accounting pronouncement issued or effective during the year had, or is expected to have, a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.