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Variable Annuity and Insurance Guarantees
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2012
Variable Annuity and Insurance Guarantees  
Variable Annuity and Insurance Guarantees

11. Variable Annuity and Insurance Guarantees

The majority of the variable annuity contracts offered by the Company contain GMDB provisions. The Company also offers variable annuities with GGU, GMWB and GMAB provisions. The Company previously offered contracts containing GMIB provisions. See Note 2 and Note 10 for additional information regarding the Company's variable annuity guarantees.

The GMDB provisions provide a specified minimum return upon death of the contractholder. The death benefit payable is the greater of (i) the contract value less any purchase payment credits subject to recapture and less a pro-rata portion of any rider fees, or (ii) the GMDB provisions specified in the contract. The Company has three primary GMDB provisions:

Return of premium — provides purchase payments minus adjusted partial surrenders.

Reset — provides that the value resets to the account value every sixth contract anniversary minus adjusted partial surrenders. This provision was often provided in combination with the return of premium provision and is no longer offered.

Ratchet — provides that the value ratchets up to the maximum account value at specified anniversary intervals, plus subsequent purchase payments less adjusted partial surrenders.

The variable annuity contracts with GMWB riders typically have account values that are based on an underlying portfolio of mutual funds, the values of which fluctuate based on fund performance. At issue, the guaranteed amount is equal to the amount deposited but the guarantee may be increased annually to the account value (a "step-up") in the case of favorable market performance.

The Company has GMWB riders in force, which contain one or more of the following provisions:

Withdrawals at a specified rate per year until the amount withdrawn is equal to the guaranteed amount.

Withdrawals at a specified rate per year for the life of the contractholder ("GMWB for life").

Withdrawals at a specified rate per year for joint contractholders while either is alive.

Withdrawals based on performance of the contract.

Withdrawals based on the age withdrawals begin.

Once withdrawals begin, the contractholder's funds are moved to one of the three least aggressive asset allocation models.

Credits are applied annually for a specified number of years to increase the guaranteed amount as long as withdrawals have not been taken.

Variable annuity contractholders age 79 or younger at contract issue can also obtain a principal-back guarantee by purchasing the optional GMAB rider for an additional charge. The GMAB rider guarantees that, regardless of market performance at the end of the 10-year waiting period, the contract value will be no less than the original investment or 80% of the highest anniversary value, adjusted for withdrawals. If the contract value is less than the guarantee at the end of the 10 year period, a lump sum will be added to the contract value to make the contract value equal to the guarantee value.

Certain UL policies offered by the Company provide secondary guarantee benefits. The secondary guarantee ensures that, subject to specified conditions, the policy will not terminate and will continue to provide a death benefit even if there is insufficient policy value to cover the monthly deductions and charges.

The following table provides information related to variable annuity guarantees for which the Company has established additional liabilities:

 
  December 31, 2012   December 31, 2011  
Variable Annuity
Guarantees by
Benefit Type(1)
  Total
Contract
Value
  Contract
Value in
Separate
Accounts
  Net
Amount
at Risk(2)
  Weighted
Average
Attained
Age
  Total
Contract
Value
  Contract
Value in
Separate
Accounts
  Net
Amount
at Risk(2)
  Weighted
Average
Attained
Age
 
 
  (in millions, except age)
 

GMDB:

                                                 

Return of premium

  $ 45,697   $ 43,942   $ 61     63   $ 40,011   $ 38,275   $ 382     63  

Five/six-year reset

    11,233     8,722     115     63     11,631     9,118     350     63  

One-year ratchet

    7,367     6,933     106     65     7,233     6,777     479     64  

Five-year ratchet

    1,616     1,563     3     61     1,472     1,418     25     61  

Other

    912     885     62     68     759     732     93     68  
                                       

Total — GMDB

  $ 66,825   $ 62,045   $ 347     63   $ 61,106   $ 56,320   $ 1,329     63  
                                       

GGU death benefit

  $ 958   $ 907   $ 93     63   $ 920   $ 868   $ 78     63  

GMIB

  $ 425   $ 399   $ 72     66   $ 463   $ 433   $ 106     65  

GMWB:

                                                 

GMWB

  $ 3,898   $ 3,880   $ 34     66   $ 3,887   $ 3,868   $ 236     65  

GMWB for life

    28,588     28,462     263     64     23,756     23,625     863     64  
                                       

Total — GMWB

  $ 32,486   $ 32,342   $ 297     64   $ 27,643   $ 27,493   $ 1,099     64  
                                       

GMAB

  $ 3,773   $ 3,762   $ 5     57   $ 3,516   $ 3,509   $ 63     56  
(1)
Individual variable annuity contracts may have more than one guarantee and therefore may be included in more than one benefit type. Variable annuity contracts for which the death benefit equals the account value are not shown in this table.

(2)
Represents the current guaranteed benefit amount in excess of the current contract value. GMIB, GMWB and GMAB benefits are subject to waiting periods and payment periods specified in the contract.

Changes in additional liabilities for variable annuity and insurance guarantees were as follows:

 
  GMDB & GGU   GMIB   GMWB   GMAB   UL  
 
  (in millions)
 

Balance at January 1, 2010

  $ 6   $ 6   $ 204   $ 100   $ 15  

Incurred claims

    17     3     133     4     59  

Paid claims

    (18 )   (1 )           (6 )
                       

Balance at December 31, 2010

    5     8     337     104     68  

Incurred claims

    10     2     1,040     133     53  

Paid claims

    (10 )   (1 )           (10 )
                       

Balance at December 31, 2011

    5     9     1,377     237     111  

Incurred claims

    6     1     (578 )   (134 )   57  

Paid claims

    (7 )   (1 )           (13 )
                       

Balance at December 31, 2012

  $ 4   $ 9   $ 799   $ 103   $ 155  
                       

The liabilities for guaranteed benefits are supported by general account assets.

The following table summarizes the distribution of separate account balances by asset type for variable annuity contracts providing guaranteed benefits:

 
  December 31,  
 
  2012   2011  
 
  (in millions)
 

Mutual funds:

             

Equity

  $ 32,054   $ 30,738  

Bond

    26,165     23,862  

Other

    3,991     1,969  
           

Total mutual funds

  $ 62,210   $ 56,569  
           

No gains or losses were recognized on assets transferred to separate accounts for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010.