SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The unaudited interim financial statements (the “financial statements”) have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP” or “GAAP”) on a basis consistent with reporting interim financial information in accordance with instructions to the Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the financial position and results of operations have been made. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. Certain prior period amounts were adjusted to reflect the adoption of ASU 2018-12: Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944).

The terms “first quarter 2023” and “first quarter 2022” refer to the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The terms “first three months of 2023” and “first three months of 2022” refer to the three months ended March 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation.

Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

Description	Effect on the Financial Statement or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2018-12: Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944)
This ASU provides targeted improvements to existing recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements for long-duration contracts issued by an insurance entity. The ASU primarily impacts four key areas, including: 1. Measurement of the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited payment contracts. The ASU requires companies to review, and if necessary, update cash flow assumptions at least annually for non-participating traditional and limited-payment insurance contracts. The ASU also prescribes the discount rate to be used in measuring the liability for future policy benefits for traditional and limited payment long-duration contracts. 2. Measurement of Market Risk Benefits (“ MRBs”). MRBs, as defined under the ASU, will encompass certain GMxB features associated with variable annuity products and other general account annuities with other than nominal market risk. 3. Amortization of deferred acquisition costs. The ASU simplifies the amortization of deferred acquisition costs and other balances amortized in proportion to premiums, gross profits, or gross margins, requiring such balances to be amortized on a constant level basis over the expected term of the contracts. 4. Expanded footnote disclosures. The ASU requires additional disclosures including information about significant inputs, judgements, assumptions and methods used in measurement.	On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted the new accounting standard ASU 2018-12 using the modified retrospective approach, except for MRBs which will use the full retrospective approach. Refer to “Transition impact of ASU 2018-12, Financial Services- Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts” section within this note for further details.

Transition impact of ASU 2018-12, Financial Services—Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts

The Company has not retrospectively adjusted its financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2020 to reflect the adoption of ASU 2018-12, consistent with the Division of Corporation Finance’s Financial Reporting Manual Section 11410.1.

The Company adopted ASU 2018-12 for liability for future policy benefits (“LFPB”), additional insurance liabilities, DAC and balances amortized on a basis consistent with DAC on a modified retrospective basis. ASU 2018-12 was adopted for MRBs on a full retrospective basis.

The majority of the transition impacts come from removal of DAC and URL adjustments balances recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) impact, resulting in a favorable AOCI. There is limited impact from LFPB and MRB as of transition.

The following table presents the effect of transition adjustment to total equity resulting from the adoption of ASU 2018-12 as of January 1, 2021:

	Retained Earnings		Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income		Total
	(in millions)
Liability for future policy benefits (1)	$	—	$	—	$	—
Market risk benefits	2		(1)		1
DAC	—		110		110
Unearned revenue liability and sales inducement assets (1)	—		(37)		(37)
Total transition adjustment before taxes	2		72		74
Income taxes	(1)		(15)		(16)
Total transition adjustment (net of taxes)	$	1	$	57	$	58

_____________

(1)Unearned revenue liability included within liability for future policy benefits financial statement line item in the balance sheet. Sales inducement assets are included in other assets in the balance sheets.

The following table summarizes the balance of and changes in DAC on January 1, 2021 resulting from the adoption of ASU 2018-12:

	Variable Universal Life		Indexed Universal Life		Total
	(in millions)
Balance, December 31, 2020	$	230	$	247	$	477
Adjustment for reversal of balances recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	70		40		110
Balance, January 1, 2021	$	300	$	287	$	587

The following table summarizes the balance of and changes in sales inducement assets and unearned revenue liability on January 1, 2021 resulting from the adoption of ASU 2018-12:

	Variable Universal Life		Indexed Universal Life		Total
	(in millions)
Balance, December 31, 2020	$	55	$	14	$	69
Adjustment for reversal of balances recorded in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	28		9		37
Balance, January 1, 2021	$	83	$	23	$	106

DAC

Acquisition costs that vary with and are primarily related to the acquisition of new and renewal insurance business, reflecting incremental direct costs of contract acquisition with independent third parties or employees that are essential

to the contract transaction, as well as the portion of employee compensation, including employee fringe benefits and other costs directly related to underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical inspection, and contract selling for successfully negotiated contracts including commissions, underwriting, agency and policy issue expenses, are deferred.

Contracts are measured on a grouped basis utilizing cohorts consistent with those used in the calculation of future policy benefit reserves. DAC is amortized on a constant level basis for the grouped contracts over the expected term of the contract. For life insurance products, DAC is amortized in proportion to the face amount in force. For annuity products DAC is amortized in proportion to policy counts. The constant level basis used for amortization determines the current period amortization considering both the current period’s actual experience and future projections. The amortization pattern is revised quarterly on a prospective basis. Amortization of DAC is included in Amortization of DAC, part of total benefits and other deductions.

For some products, policyholders can elect to modify product benefits, features, rights or coverages that occur by the exchange of a contract for a new contract, or by amendment, endorsement, or rider to a contract, or by election or coverage within a contract. These transactions are known as internal replacements. If such modification substantially changes the contract, the associated DAC is written off immediately through income and any new acquisition costs associated with the replacement contract are deferred.

Amount due to and from Reinsurers

For each of its reinsurance agreements, the Company determines whether the agreement provides indemnification against loss or liability relating to insurance risk in accordance with applicable accounting standards. Cessions under reinsurance agreements do not discharge the Company’s obligations as the primary insurer. The Company reviews all contractual features, including those that may limit the amount of insurance risk to which the reinsurer is subject or features that delay the timely reimbursement of claims.

For reinsurance of existing in-force blocks of long-duration contracts that transfer significant insurance risk, the difference, if any, between the amounts paid (received), and the liabilities ceded (assumed) related to the underlying contracts is considered the net cost of reinsurance at the inception of the reinsurance agreement. Subsequent amounts paid (received) on the reinsurance of in-force blocks, as well as amounts paid (received) related to new business, are recorded as premiums ceded (assumed); and amounts due from reinsurers (amounts due to reinsurers) are established.

Assets and liabilities relating to reinsurance agreements with the same reinsurer may be recorded net on the balance sheet, if a right of offset exists within the reinsurance agreement. In the event that reinsurers do not meet their obligations to the Company under the terms of the reinsurance agreements, reinsurance recoverable balances could become uncollectible. In such instances, reinsurance recoverable balances are stated net of allowances for uncollectible reinsurance.

Premiums, policy charges and fee income, and policyholders’ benefits include amounts assumed under reinsurance agreements and are net of reinsurance ceded. Amounts received from reinsurers for policy administration are reported in other revenues.

For reinsurance contracts, reinsurance recoverable balances are generally calculated using methodologies and assumptions that are consistent with those used to calculate the direct liabilities.

Ceded reinsurance transactions are recognized and measured in a manner consistent with underlying reinsured contracts, including using consistent assumptions. Assumed and ceded reinsurance contract rights and obligations are accounted for on a basis consistent with our direct contract. The reinsurance cost or benefit for traditional life non-participating and limited-payment contracts is recognized in proportion to the gross premiums of the underlying direct cohorts. The locked-in single A discount rate used to calculate the reinsurance cost or benefit is established at inception of the reinsurance contract. Changes to the single A discount rate are reflected in comprehensive income at each reporting date.

If the Company determines that a reinsurance agreement does not expose the reinsurer to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk, the Company records the agreement using the deposit method of accounting. Deposits received are included in other liabilities and deposits made are included within other assets. As amounts are paid or received, consistent with the underlying contracts, the deposit assets or liabilities are adjusted. Interest on such deposits is recorded as other income or other operating costs and expenses, as appropriate.

Policyholders’ Account Balances

Policyholders’ account balances relate to contracts or contract features where the Company has no significant insurance risk. This liability represents the contract value that has accrued to the benefit of the policyholder as of the balance sheet date.

Future Policy Benefits and Other Policyholders’ Liabilities

For traditional life insurance policies, future policy benefit liabilities are estimated using a net level premium method on the basis of actuarial assumptions as to mortality, persistency and interest established at policy issue. Assumptions established at policy issue as to mortality and persistency are based on the Company’s experience that, together with interest and expense assumptions, includes a margin for adverse deviation. Benefit liabilities for traditional annuities during the accumulation period are equal to accumulated policyholders’ fund balances and, after annuitization, are equal to the present value of expected future payments. Interest rates used in establishing such liabilities range from 3.5% to 4.5% of life insurance liabilities and a rate of 0.3% for retained annuity liabilities.

For traditional life insurance policies and limited pay contracts, contracts are grouped into cohorts by contract type and issue year. The Company quarterly updates its estimate of cash flows using actual experience and current future cash flow assumptions, which is reflected in an updated net premium ratio used to calculate the liability. The ratio of actual and future expected claims to actual and future expected premiums determines the net premium ratio. The policy administration expense assumption is not updated after policy issuance. If actual expenses differ from the original expense assumptions, the differences are recognized in the period identified. The revised net premium ratio is used to determine the updated liability for future policy benefits as of the beginning of the reporting period, discounted at the original contract issuance rate. Changes in the liability due to current discount rates differing from original rates are included in other comprehensive income within the statement of comprehensive income.

For non-participating traditional life insurance policies (Term) and limited pay contracts (Payout, Pension), the discount rate assumption used is corporate A rated forward curve. We use a forward curve based upon a Bloomberg index. The liability is remeasured each quarter with the remeasurement change reported in other comprehensive income. The locked-in discount rate is generally based on expected investment returns at contract inception for contracts issued prior to January 1, 2021 and the upper medium grade fixed income corporate instrument yield (i.e., single A) at contract inception for contracts issued after January 1, 2021. The Company developed an LDTI discount rate methodology used to calculate the LFPB for its traditional insurance liabilities and constructed a discount rate curve that references upper-medium grade (low credit risk) fixed-income instrument yields (i.e. Single-A rated Corporate bond yields) which are meant to reflect the duration characteristics of the corresponding insurance liabilities. The methodology uses observable market data, where available, and uses various estimation techniques in line with fair value guidance (such as interpolation and extrapolation) where data is limited. Discount rates are updated quarterly.

For limited-payment products, gross premiums received in excess of net premiums are deferred at initial recognition as a deferred profit liability (“DPL”). DPL will be amortized in relation to the expected future benefit payments. As the calculation of the DPL is based on discounted cash flows, interest accrues on the unamortized DPL balance using the discount rate determined at contract issuance. The DPL is updated at the same time as the estimates for cash flows for the liability for future policy benefits. Any difference between the recalculated and beginning of period DPL is recognized in remeasurement gain or loss in the statement of income (loss), Remeasurement of Liability for Future Policy Benefits, part of total benefits and other deductions. On the balance sheet the DPL is recorded in the liability for future policy benefits.

Additional liabilities for contract or contract feature that provide for additional benefits in addition to the account balance but are not market risk benefits or embedded derivatives (“additional insurance liabilities”) are established by estimating the expected value of death or other insurance benefits in excess of the projected contract accumulation value and recognizing the excess over the estimated life based on expected assessments (i.e., benefit ratio). The liability equals the current benefit ratio multiplied by cumulative assessments recognized to date, plus interest, less cumulative excess payments to date. These reserves are recorded within future policy benefits and other policyholders’ liabilities. The determination of this estimated future policy benefits liability is based on models that involve numerous assumptions and subjective judgments, including those regarding expected market rates of return and volatility, contract surrender and withdrawal rates, and mortality experience. There can be no assurance that actual experience will be consistent with management’s estimates. Assumptions are reviewed annually and updated with the remeasurement gain or loss reflected in total benefit expense.

The Company recognizes an adjustment in other comprehensive income for the additional insurance liabilities for unrealized gains and losses not included when calculating the present value of expected assessments for the benefit ratios.

The Company conducts annual premium deficiency testing except for liability for future policy benefits for non-participating traditional and limited payment contracts. The Company reviews assumptions and determines whether the sum of existing liabilities and the present value of future gross premiums is sufficient to cover the present value of future benefits to be paid and settlement costs. Anticipated investment income is considered when performing premium deficiency for long duration contracts. The anticipated investment income is projected based on current investment portfolio returns grading to long term reinvestment rates over the projection periods, based on anticipated gross reinvestment spreads, defaults and investment expenses. Premium deficiency reserves are recorded in certain instances where the policyholder liability for a particular line of business may not be deficient in the aggregate to trigger loss recognition, but the pattern of earnings may be such that profits are expected to be recognized in earlier years followed by losses in later years. This pattern of profits followed by losses is exhibited in our VISL business and is generated by the cost structure of the product or secondary guarantees in the contract. 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. We accrue for these PFBL using a dynamic approach that changes over time as the projection of future losses change.

Liabilities for unpaid claims and claim adjustment expenses are established for the Company’s employee benefits products which include the following Group products: long-term and short-term disability, life insurance, vision, dental, critical Illness, and accident. Unpaid claim and claim adjustment expenses consist of (i) claim reserves for known claims that are unpaid as of the balance sheet date; (ii) Incurred But Not Reported reserves for claims where the insured event occurred but has not yet been reported to the Company or the insured has not yet satisfied elimination period to be eligible for the benefits; and (iii) claim adjustment expense reserves for settling the claim run-out. The Company determines Incurred But Not Reported reserves and reviews the claim reserves for the long-term disability claims provided by a reinsurer managing the claims on the Company’s behalf. The claim adjustment expense reserves are set based on the Company’s anticipated cost associated with claim administration expenses on the run-out of business.

For long-term disability (“LTD”) the claim reserves for the reported claims are calculated as the present value of the net monthly LTD benefits (Social Security and other offsets may be estimated if unknown) and the best estimate probabilities of the claimant remaining disabled for a given benefit payment which are based on a termination rates table adjusted for experience. Should the offsets be estimated, they are estimated using the claimant’s salary, duration of disability and the probability of the offset award.

The disability termination rates vary based on the insured’s age at disability, gender, elimination period, the duration of disability, social security status and the number of months remaining in the benefit period. The rates account for the probabilities of both recovery and death. The reserves vary with plan provisions such as monthly benefit, offsets, own occupation period, benefit duration, cost of living adjustment (“COLA”), and minimum and maximum benefits. The discount rate assumptions for these liabilities are set annually and are based on projected investment returns for the asset portfolios. The interest rate is locked in for each claimant based on the year of disability.

For long-term disability, critical illness, and group accident the incurred but not reported reserves are determined using the expected loss ratio method, where the expected loss ratio is applied to the premiums to determine ultimate liabilities. For dental and vision the incurred but not reported reserves are determined using completion factors, where these factors complete paid-to-date claims to the ultimate liability based on past experience. For short-term disability and group life the incurred but not reported reserves are determined using a combination of expected loss ratio and completion factor methods.

Market Risk Benefits

Market risk benefits (“MRBs”) are contracts or contract features that provide protection to the contract holder from other than nominal capital market risk and expose the Company to other than nominal capital market risk. Market risk benefits include contract features that provide minimum guarantees to policyholders and include GMIB, GMDB, and ROP DB benefits. MRBs are measured at fair value on a seriatim basis using an ascribed fee approach based upon policyholder behavior projections and risk neutral economic scenarios adjusted based on the facts and circumstances of the Company’s product features. The MRB Asset and MRB Liability will be equal to the average present value of benefits and risk margins less the average present value of ascribed fees. Ascribed fees will consist of the fee needed, under a stochastically generated set of risk-neutral scenarios, so that the mean present value of claims, including any

risk charge, is equal to the mean present value of the projected attributed fees which will be capped at average present value of total policyholder contractual fees. The attributed fee percentage is considered a fixed term of the MRB feature and is held static over the life of the contract. Changes in fair value are recognized as a remeasurement gain/loss in the Change in market risk benefits and purchased market risk benefits, part of total benefits and other deductions except for the portion of the change in the fair value due to change in the Company’s own credit risk, which is recognized in other than comprehensive income. Additionally, when an annuitization occurs (for annuitization benefits) or upon extinguishment of the account balance (for withdrawal benefits) the balance related to the MRB will be derecognized and the amount deducted (after derecognition of any related amount included in accumulated other comprehensive income) shall be used in the calculation of the liability for future policy benefits for the payout annuity. Upon derecognition, any related balance will be removed from AOCI.

The Company has issued and continues to offer certain variable annuity products with GMDB and/or contain a GMIB (collectively, the “GMxB features”) which, if elected by the policyholder after a stipulated waiting period from contract issuance, guarantees a minimum lifetime annuity based on predetermined annuity purchase rates that may be in excess of what the contract account value can purchase at then-current annuity purchase rates. This minimum lifetime annuity is based on predetermined annuity purchase rates applied to a GMIB base.

Features in ceded reinsurance contracts that meet the definition of MRBs are accounted for at fair value. The fees used to determine the fair value of the reinsured market risk benefit are those defined in the reinsurance contract. The expected periodic future premiums would represent cash outflows and the expected future benefits would represent cash inflows in the fair value calculation. On the ceded side, the Purchased MRB will be measured considering the counterparty credit risk of the reinsurer, while the direct contract liabilities will be measured considering the instrument-specific credit risk of the insurer. As a result of the difference in the treatment of the counterparty credit risk, the fair value of the direct and ceded contracts may be different even if the contractual fees and benefits are the same. Changes in instrument-specific credit risk of the Company is included in the fair value of its market risk benefit, whether in an asset or liability position, and whether related to an issued or purchased MRB, is recognized in OCI. The counterparty credit risk of the reinsurer is recorded in the statements of income (loss).