XML 46 R11.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.21.1
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Accounting Standards Update and Change in Accounting Principle [Abstract]  
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Adoption of New Accounting Standards
Income Taxes – Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes
In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) updated the accounting standards to simplify the accounting for income taxes. The update eliminates certain exceptions to: (1) accounting principles related to intra-period tax allocation to be applied on a prospective basis, (2) deferred tax liabilities related to outside basis differences to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption, and (3) year-to-date losses in interim periods to be applied on a prospective basis. The update also amends existing guidance related to situations when an entity receives: (1) a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill to be applied on a prospective basis, (2) an allocation of income tax expense when members of a consolidated tax filing group issue separate financial statements to be applied on a retrospective basis for all periods presented, (3) interim recognition of enactment of tax laws or rate changes to be applied on a prospective basis, and (4) franchise taxes and other taxes partially based on income to be applied on a retrospective basis for all periods presented or a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2021. The adoption of this standard had no impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial condition.
Financial Instruments – Credit Losses – Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
In June 2016, the FASB updated the accounting standards related to accounting for credit losses on certain types of financial instruments. The update replaces the current incurred loss model for estimating credit losses with a new model that requires an entity to estimate the credit losses expected over the life of the asset. At adoption, the initial estimate of the expected credit losses will be recorded through retained earnings and subsequent changes in the estimate will be reported in current period earnings and recorded through an allowance for credit losses on the balance sheet. The credit loss model for Available-for-Sale debt securities did not change; however, the credit loss calculation and subsequent recoveries are required to be recorded through an allowance. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. A modified retrospective cumulative adjustment to retained earnings should be recorded as of the first reporting period in which the guidance is effective for loans, receivables, and other financial instruments subject to the new expected credit loss model. Prospective adoption is required for establishing an allowance related to Available-for-Sale debt securities, certain beneficial interests, and financial assets purchased with a more-than-insignificant amount of credit deterioration since origination. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Internal-Use Software – Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract
In August 2018, the FASB updated the accounting standards related to customer’s accounting for implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement (“CCA”) that is a service contract. The update requires implementation costs for a CCA to be evaluated for capitalization using the same approach as implementation costs associated with internal-use software. The update also addresses presentation, measurement and impairment of capitalized implementation costs in a CCA that is a service contract. The update requires new disclosures on the nature of hosting arrangements that are service contracts, significant judgements made when applying the guidance and quantitative disclosures, including amounts capitalized, amortized and impaired. The update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and can be applied either prospectively or retrospectively. The Company adopted the standard using a prospective approach on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Intangibles – Goodwill and Other – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment
In January 2017, the FASB updated the accounting standards to simplify the accounting for goodwill impairment. The update removes the hypothetical purchase price allocation (Step 2) of the goodwill impairment test. Goodwill impairment will now be the amount by which a reporting unit’s carrying value exceeds its fair value. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and should be applied prospectively with early adoption permitted for any impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company adopted the standard on January 1, 2020. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Fair Value Measurement – Disclosure Framework – Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement
In August 2018, the FASB updated the accounting standards related to disclosures for fair value measurements. The update eliminates the following disclosures: (1) the amount of and reasons for transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, (2) the policy of timing of transfers between levels of the fair value hierarchy, and (3) the valuation processes for Level 3 fair value measurements. The new disclosures include changes in unrealized gains and losses for the period included in OCI for recurring Level 3 fair value measurements of instruments held at the end of the reporting period and the range and weighted average used to develop significant unobservable inputs and how the weighted average was calculated. The new disclosures are required on a prospective basis; all other provisions should be applied retrospectively. The update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for the entire standard or only the provisions to eliminate or modify disclosure requirements. The Company early adopted the provisions of the standard to eliminate or modify disclosure requirements in the fourth quarter of 2018. The Company adopted the provisions of the standard to include new disclosures on January 1, 2020. The update did not have an impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Future Adoption of New Accounting Standards
Reference Rate Reform – Expedients for Contract Modifications
In March 2020, the FASB updated the accounting standards to provide optional expedients and exceptions for applying GAAP to contracts, hedging or other transactions that are affected by reference rate reform (i.e., the elimination of LIBOR). The following expedients are provided for modified contracts whose reference rate is changed: (1) receivables and debt contracts are accounted for prospectively by adjusting the effective interest rate, (2) leases are accounted for as a continuation of the existing contracts with no reassessments of the lease classification and discount rate or remeasurements of lease payments that otherwise would be required, and (3) an entity is not required to reassess its original conclusion about whether that contract contains an embedded derivative that is clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of the host contract. The amendments in this update were effective upon issuance and must be elected prior to December 31, 2022. When elected, the optional expedients for contract modifications must be applied consistently for all eligible contracts or eligible transactions. The Company has not yet applied any of the optional
expedients. The adoption of the standard is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s consolidated results of operations and financial condition.
Financial Services – Insurance – Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts
In August 2018, the FASB updated the accounting standard related to long-duration insurance contracts. The guidance revises key elements of the measurement models and disclosure requirements for long-duration insurance contracts issued by insurers and reinsurers.
The guidance establishes a significant new category of benefit features called market risk benefits that protect the contractholder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and expose the insurer to that risk. Insurers will have to measure market risk benefits at fair value. Market risk benefits include variable annuity guaranteed benefits (i.e. guaranteed minimum death, withdrawal, withdrawal for life, accumulation and income benefits). The portion of the change in fair value attributable to a change in the instrument-specific credit risk of market risk benefits in a liability position will be recorded in OCI.
Significant changes also relate to the measurement of the liability for future policy benefits for nonparticipating traditional long-duration insurance contracts and immediate annuities with a life contingent feature include the following:
Insurers will be required to review and update the cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits rather than using assumptions locked in at contract inception. The review of assumptions to measure the liability for all future policy benefits will be required annually at the same time each year, or more frequently if suggested by experience. The effect of updating assumptions will be measured on a retrospective catch-up basis and presented separate from the ongoing policyholder benefit expense in the statement of operations in the period the update is made. This new unlocking process will be required for the Company’s term and whole life insurance, disability income, long term care insurance and immediate annuities with a life contingent feature.
The discount rate used to measure the liability for future policy benefits will be standardized. The current requirement to use a discount rate reflecting expected investment yields will change to an upper-medium grade (low credit risk) fixed income corporate instrument yield (generally interpreted as an “A” rating) reflecting the duration characteristics of the liability. Entities will be required to update the discount rate at each reporting date with the effect of discount rate changes reflected in OCI.
The current premium deficiency test is being replaced with a net premium ratio cap of 100%. If the net premium ratio (i.e. the ratio of the present value of total expected benefits and related expenses to the present value of total expected premiums) exceeds 100%, insurers are required to recognize a loss in the statement of operations in the period. Contracts from different issue years will no longer be permitted to be grouped to determine contracts in a loss position.
In addition, the update requires DAC and DSIC relating to all long-duration contracts and most investment contracts to be amortized on a straight-line basis over the expected life of the contract independent of profit emergence. Under the new guidance, interest will not accrue to the deferred balance and DAC and DSIC will not be subject to an impairment test.
The update requires significant additional disclosures, including disaggregated rollforwards of the liability for future policy benefits, policyholder account balances, market risk benefits, DAC and DSIC, as well as qualitative and quantitative information about expected cash flows, estimates and assumptions. The standard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those years. The standard should be applied to the liability for future policy benefits and DAC and DSIC on a modified retrospective basis and applied to market risk benefits on a retrospective basis with the option to apply full retrospective transition if certain criteria are met. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated results of operations, financial condition and disclosures.