SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Description of Business and Basis of Presentation

Description of Business

Aflac Incorporated (the Parent Company) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the Company) primarily sell supplemental health and life insurance in the United States and Japan. The Company's insurance business is marketed and administered through American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac), which operates in the United States (Aflac U.S.) and as a branch in Japan (Aflac Japan). American Family Life Assurance Company of New York (Aflac New York) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aflac. Most of Aflac's policies are individually underwritten and marketed through independent agents. Additionally, Aflac U.S. markets and administers group products through Continental American Insurance Company (CAIC), branded as Aflac Group Insurance. Our insurance operations in the United States and our branch in Japan service the two markets for our insurance business. Aflac Japan's revenues, including realized gains and losses on its investment portfolio, accounted for 70% and 74% of the Company's total revenues in the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, respectively. The percentage of the Company's total assets attributable to Aflac Japan was 83% at September 30, 2015, compared with 82% at December 31, 2014.

Basis of Presentation

We prepare our financial statements in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). These principles are established primarily by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). In these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, references to U.S. GAAP issued by the FASB are derived from the FASB Accounting Standards Codification^TM (ASC). The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates when recording transactions resulting from business operations based on currently available information. The most significant items on our balance sheet that involve a greater degree of accounting estimates and actuarial determinations subject to changes in the future are the valuation of investments, deferred policy acquisition costs, liabilities for future policy benefits and unpaid policy claims, and income taxes. These accounting estimates and actuarial determinations are sensitive to market conditions, investment yields, mortality, morbidity, commission and other acquisition expenses, and terminations by policyholders. As additional information becomes available, or actual amounts are determinable, the recorded estimates will be revised and reflected in operating results. Although some variability is inherent in these estimates, we believe the amounts provided are adequate.

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Parent Company, its subsidiaries and those entities required to be consolidated under applicable accounting standards. All material intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of the Company contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, which are necessary to fairly present the consolidated balance sheets as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income (loss) for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015, and 2014, and the consolidated statements of shareholders' equity and cash flows for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2015 and 2014. Results of operations for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results for the entire year. As a result, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in our annual report to shareholders for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items - Simplifying income statement presentation by eliminating the concept of extraordinary items: In January 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that eliminates from U.S. GAAP the concept of extraordinary items. Although the amendments will eliminate the requirements for reporting entities to consider whether an underlying event or transaction is extraordinary, the presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include items that are both unusual in nature and infrequently occurring. The amendments in this updated guidance are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2015. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Transfers and Servicing, Repurchase-to-Maturity Transactions, Repurchase Financings, and Disclosures: In June 2014, the FASB issued updated guidance for repurchase agreement and security lending transactions to change the accounting for repurchase-to-maturity transactions and linked repurchase financings to be accounted for as secured borrowings, consistent with the accounting for other repurchase agreements. The amendments also require new disclosures to increase transparency about the types of collateral pledged in repurchase agreements and similar transactions accounted for as secured borrowings. We adopted accounting changes for the new guidance as of January 1, 2015, and adopted the required disclosures as of April 1, 2015. The adoption of this guidance did not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Description of Accounting Pronouncements Pending Adoption

Accounting Pronouncements Pending Adoption

Financial Services - Insurance - Disclosures about Short-Duration Contracts: In May 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance requiring enhanced disclosures by all insurance entities that issue short-duration contracts. The amendments require insurance entities to disclose for annual reporting periods information about the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses. The amendments also require insurance entities to disclose information about significant changes in methodologies and assumptions used to calculate the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses, including reasons for the change and the effects on the financial statements. In addition, the amendments require insurance entities to disclose for annual and interim reporting periods a roll-forward of the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses. For health insurance claims, the amendments require the disclosure of the total of incurred-but-not-reported liabilities and expected development on reported claims included in the liability for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses. The amendments are effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application of the amendments is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations; however, we are evaluating whether the adoption of this guidance will have an impact on our disclosures.

Fair Value Measurement - Disclosures for investments in certain entities that calculate net asset value per share (or its equivalent): In May 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that removes the requirement to categorize within the fair value hierarchy all investments for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient. The amendments also remove the requirement to make certain disclosures for all investments that are eligible to be measured at fair value using the net asset value per share practical expedient. Rather, those disclosures are limited to investments for which the entity has elected to measure the fair value using that practical expedient. The amendments are effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments should be applied retrospectively to all periods presented whereby an investment for which fair value is measured using the net asset value per share practical expedient be removed from the fair value hierarchy in all periods presented in an entity’s financial statements. Earlier application is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Interest - Imputation of Interest - Simplifying the presentation of debt issuance costs: In April 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance to simplify presentation of debt issuance costs. The updated guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by this amendment. In August 2015, the FASB issued updated SEC Staff guidance pertaining to the presentation of debt issuance costs related to line-of-credit arrangements. The guidance states that an entity may defer and present debt issuance costs as an asset, subsequently amortizing the deferred debt issuance costs ratably over the term of the line-of-credit arrangement, regardless of whether there are any outstanding borrowings on the line-of-credit arrangement. The amendment is effective for annual periods and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Consolidation - Amendments to the consolidation analysis: In February 2015, the FASB issued updated guidance that affects evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities (limited liability corporations and securitization structures, etc.) are variable interest entities (VIEs), evaluation of whether fees paid to a decision maker or a service provider are a variable interest, and evaluation of the effect of fee arrangements and the effect of related parties on the determination of the primary beneficiary under the VIE model for consolidation. The updated guidance eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership. Limited partnership and similar legal entities that provide partners with either substantive kick-out rights or substantive participating rights (representing the partners’ controlling financial interest in the entity) over the general partner will now be evaluated under the voting interest model rather than the VIE model for consolidation. In regard to the fees paid to a decision maker or a service provider, the updated guidance eliminates three of the six criteria that an entity’s decision makers or service providers must meet for them to conclude that the fees do not represent a variable interest in that entity and, thus, should be excluded from the assessment for determining the primary beneficiary. Finally, in situations where no single party has a controlling financial interest in a VIE, the related party relationships under common control should be considered in their entirety in determining whether that common control group has a controlling financial interest in the VIE. However, if substantially all of the activities of the VIE are conducted on behalf of a single variable interest holder (excluding the decision maker) in a related party group that has the characteristics of a primary beneficiary, that single variable interest holder must consolidate the VIE as the primary beneficiary. The amendments in the updated guidance are effective for fiscal years, and for interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. Early application is permitted, including adoption in an interim period. We are evaluating whether the adoption of this guidance will have an impact on our financial position, results of operations or disclosures.

Derivatives and Hedging - Determining whether the host contract in a hybrid financial instrument issued in the form of a share is more akin to debt or equity: In November 2014, the FASB issued guidance to clarify how to evaluate the economic characteristics and risks of a host contract in a hybrid financial instrument that is issued in the form of a share. The guidance also clarifies that an entity should assess the substance of the relevant terms and features when considering how to weight those terms and features. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2015. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern - Disclosure of uncertainties about an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern: In August 2014, the FASB issued this amendment that provides U.S. GAAP guidance on management’s responsibility in evaluating whether there is substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern and about related footnote disclosures. For each reporting period, management will be required to evaluate whether there are conditions or events that raise substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year from the date the financial statements are issued. The amendment is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early application is permitted for annual or interim reporting periods for which the financial statements have not previously been issued. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Compensation - Stock Compensation - Accounting for share-based payments when the terms of an award provide that a performance target could be achieved after the requisite service period: In June 2014, the FASB issued this amendment that provides guidance on certain share-based payment awards that require a specific performance target that affects vesting and that could be achieved after the requisite service period be treated as a performance condition. A reporting entity should apply existing guidance to awards with performance conditions that affect vesting to account for such awards. The performance target should not be reflected in estimating the grant-date fair value of the award. Compensation cost should be recognized in the period in which it becomes probable that the performance target will be achieved and should represent the compensation cost attributable to the period(s) for which the requisite service has already been rendered. If the performance target becomes probable of being achieved before the end of the requisite service period, the remaining unrecognized compensation cost should be recognized prospectively over the remaining requisite service period. The total amount of compensation cost recognized during and after the requisite service period should reflect the number of awards that are expected to vest and should be adjusted to reflect those awards that ultimately vest. The requisite service period ends when the employee can cease rendering service and still be eligible to vest in the award if the performance target is achieved. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.

Revenue from contracts with customers: In May 2014, the FASB issued updated guidance that affects any entity that either enters into contracts with customers to transfer goods or services or enters into contracts for the transfer of nonfinancial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other standards (e.g., insurance contracts or lease contracts). The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. In August 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date for this standard to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. The adoption of this guidance will not have a significant impact on our financial position or results of operations.