SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND PRONOUNCEMENTS

Accounting for Certain Reinsurance Contracts in our Individual Life business

During the second quarter of 2017, the Company recognized a pre-tax charge of $2 million, reflecting a change in estimate of reinsurance cash flows associated with universal life products as well as a change in method of reflecting these cash flows in the financial statements. Under the previous method of accounting, with the exception of recoveries pertaining to no lapse guarantees, reinsurance cash flows (e.g., premiums and recoveries) were generally recognized as they occurred. Under the new method, the expected reinsurance cash flows are recognized more ratably over the life of the underlying reinsured policies. In conjunction with this change, the way in which reinsurance is reflected in estimated gross profits used for the amortization of unearned revenue reserves and DAC was also revised. The change represents a change in accounting estimate effected by a change in accounting principle and is included within the Company’s annual reviews and update of assumptions and other refinements. The change in accounting estimate reflected insights gained from revised cash flow modeling enabled by a systems conversion, which prompted the change to a preferable accounting method. This new methodology is viewed as preferable as the Company believes it better reflects the economics of reinsurance transactions by aligning the results of reinsurance activity more closely to the underlying direct insurance activity and by better reflecting the profit pattern of this business for purposes of the amortization of the balances noted above.

The impacts of the pre-tax charge of $2 million in the second quarter of 2017 were as follows:



	Impact of Change in Accounting for Certain Reinsurance Contracts(1)
	(in millions)
Decrease in Policy charges and fee income	$	(236	)
Decrease in Policyholders' benefits	253
Increase in Amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs	(19		)
Pre-tax charge to income	$	(2	)


(1)	The corresponding impacts to the Consolidated Statement of Financial Position were a $284 million increase in "Other liabilities", a $247 million increase in "Reinsurance recoverables", a $48 million decrease in "Policyholders’ account balances", a $19 million decrease in "Deferred policy acquisition costs" and a $6 million decrease in "Future policy benefits".

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to U.S. GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") in the form of accounting standards updates ("ASU") to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification.

The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASU. ASU listed below include those that have been adopted during the current fiscal year and/or those that have been issued but not yet adopted as of the date of this filing. ASU not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or not material.

There have been no ASU adopted during the six months ended June 30, 2017.

ASU issued but not yet adopted as of the reporting date June 30, 2017



Standard	Description	Effective date and method of adoption	Effect on the financial statements or other significant matters
ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)	The ASU is based on the core principle that revenue is recognized 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 and services. The standard also requires additional disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer. Revenue recognition for insurance contracts and financial instruments is explicitly scoped out of the standard.	January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method.	Given that insurance contracts and financial instruments are explicitly scoped out of the standard, the Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Liabilities	The ASU revises an entity’s accounting related to the classification and measurement of certain equity investments and the presentation of certain fair value changes for financial liabilities measured at fair value. The standard also amends certain disclosure requirements associated with the fair value of financial instruments.	January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method. The amendments are to be applied prospectively as they relate to equity investments without readily determinable fair value.	The Company’s equity investments, except for those accounted for using the equity method, will generally be carried on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position at fair value with changes in fair value reported in current earnings. The Company is continuing to assess additional impacts of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments	This ASU provides a new current expected credit loss model to account for credit losses on certain financial assets and off-balance sheet exposures (e.g., loans held for investment, debt securities held to maturity, reinsurance receivables, net investments in leases and loan commitments). The model requires an entity to estimate lifetime credit losses related to such financial assets and exposures based on relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. The standard also modifies the current other-than-temporary impairment standard for available-for-sale debt securities to require the use of an allowance rather than a direct write down of the investment, and replaces existing standard for purchased credit deteriorated loans and debt securities.	January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method, however prospective application is required for purchased credit deteriorated assets previously accounted for under ASU 310-30 and for debt securities for which an other-than-temporary-impairment was recognized prior to the date of adoption. Early adoption is permitted beginning January 1, 2019.	The Company is currently assessing the impact of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.



Standard	Description	Effective date and method of adoption	Effect on the financial statements or other significant matters
ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a Consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force)	This ASU addresses diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The standard provides clarity on the treatment of eight specifically defined types of cash inflows and outflows.	January 1, 2018 using the retrospective method (with early adoption permitted provided that all amendments are adopted in the same period).	The Company is currently assessing the impact of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Update 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash	In November 2016, the FASB issued this ASU to address diversity in practice from entities classifying and presenting transfers between cash and restricted cash as operating, investing, or financing activities, or as a combination of those activities in the Statement of Cash Flows. The ASU requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents in the Statement of Cash Flows. As a result, transfers between such categories will no longer be presented in the Statement of Cash Flows.	January 1, 2018 using the retrospective method (with early adoption permitted).	The Company is currently assessing the impact of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements
ASU 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities	This ASU requires certain premiums on callable debt securities to be amortized to the earliest call date.	January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method (with early adoption permitted).	The Company is currently assessing the impact of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.