Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company). These financial statements are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and are unaudited.  In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected.  Certain financial information that is normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, but that is not required for interim reporting purposes, has been omitted.  All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.  The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 (the Company’s 2018 Annual Report).

The preparation of the interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the interim consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and claims and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Adoption of Accounting Standards [Policy Text Block]

Adoption of Accounting Standards

Leases

Effective for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company adopted the updated guidance for leases and elected to utilize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings for the year of adoption.  Accordingly, the Company’s reporting for the comparative periods prior to adoption continue to be presented in the financial statements in accordance with previous lease accounting guidance.  The Company also elected to apply all practical expedients applicable to the Company in the updated guidance for transition for leases in effect at adoption, including using hindsight to determine the lease term of existing leases, the option to not reassess whether an existing contract is a lease or contains a lease and whether the lease is an operating or finance lease. The adoption of the updated guidance resulted in the Company recognizing a right-of-use asset of $320 million as part of other assets and a lease liability of $384 million as part of other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheet, as well as de-recognizing the liability for deferred rent that was required under the previous guidance, for its corporate real estate agreements at March 31, 2019.  The cumulative effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings was zero. The adoption of the updated guidance did not have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations or liquidity.

Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract

Effective for the quarter ended March 31, 2019, the Company adopted the updated guidance regarding Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract, and applied the guidance prospectively.  The updated guidance requires an entity to determine the stage of a project that the implementation activity relates to and the nature of the associated costs in order to determine whether those costs should be expensed as incurred or capitalized.  The updated guidance also requires the entity to amortize the capitalized implementation costs as an expense over the term of the hosting arrangement. The adoption of the updated guidance did not have a material effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

For additional information regarding accounting standards that the Company adopted during the periods presented, see note 1 of notes to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s 2018 Annual Report.