REINSURANCE AND FINANCING TRANSACTIONS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2016

Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]

REINSURANCE AND FINANCING TRANSACTIONS

REINSURANCE AND FINANCING TRANSACTIONS

On January 15, 2016, the Company completed the transaction contemplated by the Master Agreement, dated September 30, 2015 (the “Master Agreement”), with Genworth Life and Annuity Insurance Company (“GLAIC”). Pursuant to the Master Agreement, effective January 1, 2016, the Company entered into a reinsurance agreement (the “Reinsurance Agreement”) under the terms of which the Company coinsures certain term life insurance business of GLAIC (the “GLAIC Block”). In connection with the reinsurance transaction, on January 15, 2016, Golden Gate Captive Insurance Company (“Golden Gate”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, and Steel City, LLC (“Steel City”), a newly formed wholly owned subsidiary of PLC, entered into an 18-year transaction to finance $2.188 billion of “XXX” reserves related to the acquired GLAIC Block and the other term life insurance business reinsured to Golden Gate by the Company and West Coast Life Insurance Company (“WCL”), a direct wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Steel City issued notes with an aggregate initial principal amount of $2.188 billion to Golden Gate in exchange for a surplus note issued by Golden Gate with an initial principal amount of $2.188 billion. Through the structure, Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America (Bermuda) Ltd., The Canada Life Assurance Company (Barbados Branch) and Nomura Americas Re Ltd. (collectively, the “Risk-Takers”) provide credit enhancement to the Steel City notes for the 18-year term in exchange for credit enhancement fees. The transaction is “non-recourse” to PLC, WCL and the Company, meaning that none of these companies are liable to reimburse the Risk-Takers for any credit enhancement payments required to be made. In connection with the transaction, PLC has entered into certain support agreements under which it guarantees or otherwise supports certain obligations of Golden Gate or Steel City, including a guarantee of the fees to the Risk-Takers. As a result of the financing transaction described above, the $800 million of Golden Gate Series A Surplus Notes held by PLC were contributed to the Company and then subsequently contributed to Golden Gate, which resulted in the extinguishment of these notes. Also on January 15, 2016, Golden Gate paid an extraordinary dividend of $300 million to the Company as approved by the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation.

The transactions described above resulted in an increase to total assets and total liabilities of $2.8 billion. Of the $2.8 billion increase in total assets, $0.6 billion was the result of the reinsurance transaction with GLAIC which included a $280 million increase in VOBA. The remaining $2.2 billion increase to total assets and liabilities is associated with the financing transaction between Golden Gate and Steel City.

The Company considered whether the Reinsurance Agreement constituted the purchase of a business for accounting and reporting purposes pursuant to ASC 805, Business Combinations. While the transaction included a continuation of the revenue-producing activities associated with the reinsured policies, it did not result in the acquisition of a market distribution system, sales force or production techniques. Based on Management’s decision not to pursue distribution opportunities or future sales related to the reinsured policies, the Company accounted for the transaction as a reinsurance agreement under ASC 944, Insurance Contracts and asset acquisition under ASC 805. Accordingly, the Company recorded the assets and liabilities acquired under the reinsurance agreement at fair value and recognized an intangible asset (value of business acquired or “VOBA”) equal to the excess of the fair value of assets acquired over liabilities assumed, measured in accordance with the Company's accounting policies for insurance and reinsurance contracts that it issues or holds pursuant to ASC 944.