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Significant Accounting Policies
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Significant Accounting Policies
Significant Accounting Policies
(a) Basis of Preparation and Consolidation
Unless the context otherwise indicates, references herein to the "Company" include the accounts of XL Group Ltd, a Bermuda exempted company ("XL Group"), together with its consolidated subsidiaries.
These Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of the Company and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. In addition, the year-end balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements but do not include all disclosures required by GAAP. In the opinion of management, these unaudited financial statements reflect all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of financial position and results of operations at the end of and for the periods presented. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for a full year. All inter-company accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure about contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. For further information, see Item 8, Note 1(a), "Significant Accounting Policies - Basis of Preparation and Consolidation," to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
In May 2014, the Company ceded the majority of its life reinsurance business to GreyCastle Life Reinsurance ("GCLR") via 100% quota share reinsurance (the "GreyCastle Life Retro Arrangements"). Under the terms of the transaction, the Company continues to own, on a funds withheld basis, assets supporting the GreyCastle Life Retro Arrangements consisting of cash, fixed maturity securities and accrued interest (the "Life Funds Withheld Assets"). The Life Funds Withheld Assets are managed pursuant to agreed investment guidelines that meet the contractual commitments of the XL ceding companies and applicable laws and regulations. All of the investment results associated with the Life Funds Withheld Assets ultimately accrue to GCLR. Because the Company no longer shares in the risks and rewards of the underlying performance of the supporting invested assets, disclosures within the financial statement notes included herein separate the Life Funds Withheld Assets from the rest of the Company's investments. For further information, see Item 8, Note 1(a), "Significant Accounting Policies - Basis of Preparation and Consolidation," to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
To facilitate period-to-period comparisons, certain reclassifications have been made to prior period consolidated financial statement amounts to conform to current period presentation.
(b) Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Adopted in 2018
ASU 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued an accounting standards update concerning the accounting for financial instruments. The guidance retains the basic existing framework for accounting for financial instruments under GAAP, while achieving limited convergence with IFRS in this area. The guidance: (1) requires equity investments (except consolidated entities and those accounted for under the equity method of accounting) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income; (2) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring a qualitative assessment to identify impairment; (3) eliminates the requirement to disclose the fair value of financial instruments measured at amortized cost for non-public business entities; (4) eliminates the requirement to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of financial instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet; (5) requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; (6) requires an entity to present separately in other comprehensive income the portion of the total change in the fair value of a liability resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk when the entity has elected to measure the liability at fair value in accordance with the fair value option for financial statements; (7) requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of asset in the financial statements; and (8) clarifies that an entity should evaluate the need for a valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset related to AFS securities in combination with the entity's other deferred tax assets. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Adoption is required to be applied by means of a cumulative effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption, except the amendments related to impairment of equity securities without readily determinable fair values. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018. As of that date, accumulated unrealized gains and losses relating to investments in equity securities and certain of our other investments, net of tax, which were included in accumulated other comprehensive income, were reclassified to retained earnings. At January 1, 2018 the amount of the reclassification was a net unrealized gain of $233.8 million, less deferred tax of $11.9 million. Adoption of this update has an effect on results of operations going forward, as mark-to-market movements on equity securities now impact net income; however, it does not have a material impact on the Company's cash flows.
ASU 2016-15, Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments
In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the presentation and classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update are intended to address areas where GAAP is unclear and diversity in practice exists. The following areas are covered in this update: (1) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; (2) settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments; (3) contingent consideration payments following a business combination; (4) proceeds from settlement of insurance claims; (5) proceeds from settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies; (6) distributions received from equity method investees; (7) beneficial interests in securitization transactions; and (8) separation of cash flows. The guidance is effective for public business entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018 using the retrospective transition method required by these amendments. As required in adopting this standard, the Company made a formal accounting policy election regarding classification of distributions received from equity method investees, choosing to use the Nature of Distribution approach. This approach is consistent with historical practice utilized by the Company in classifying these distributions. Overall, adoption of the guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's cash flows, and had no impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.
ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes: Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory
In October 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the tax effects of intra-entity asset transfers within a group. The guidance requires an entity to reflect the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when that transfer occurs. This is a departure from previous GAAP, which prohibited recognition of tax on such transfers until the asset had been sold to an external party or otherwise realized. The amendments are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The amendments are required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018. This guidance did not have a material impact on the Company's financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows: Restricted Cash
In November 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the presentation of restricted cash within the statement of cash flows. Previous GAAP did not provide guidance on the presentation or classification of movements in restricted cash. The update requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. Therefore, amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents should be included as a component of cash and cash equivalents when reconciling beginning-of-period and end-of-period totals within the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The guidance is required to be applied retrospectively to all periods presented in the statements of cash flows. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018. As result, the net amount of the change in the restricted cash balances during each reporting period is no longer being presented as a discrete line item "Change in restricted cash" within investing cash flows for each applicable period, as was previously reported in the Company's Unaudited Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2017. This guidance did not have an impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.
ASU 2017-07, Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost
In March 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the presentation of costs related to defined benefit pension plans and similar plans. The amendments in this ASU principally require that an employer report the service cost component in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by relevant employees during the period. The other components of net benefit cost are required to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. If a separate line item or items are used to present the other components of net benefit cost, that line item or items must be appropriately described. If a separate line item or items are not used, the line item or items used in the income statement to present the other components of net benefit cost must be disclosed. The amendments in the update are effective for public business entities for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those annual periods. The amendments relating to presentation in the income statement are required to be applied retrospectively. Disclosures of the nature of and reason for the change in accounting principle are required in the first interim and annual periods of adoption. The Company adopted this guidance as of January 1, 2018. The impact of this guidance on the Company is disclosure-related only, and it does not have an impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. As the impact of adopting this standard is not material, updated disclosure on the Company's defined benefit pension plans has not been provided for either the current or the prior quarterly period. For the Company’s most recent disclosures, see Item 8, Note 17, "Retirement Plans" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
In February 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the stranded tax effects resulting from tax rate changes legislated by the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Under GAAP, the effects of all changes in tax rates on deferred tax balances are reflected in income, even if the tax balances relate to items of accumulated other comprehensive income. This update permits companies to make an election to reclassify from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings such stranded tax effects resulting from the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Certain disclosures are also required by the update. The amendments are effective for all entities for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those financial years. For public business entities, early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period for reporting periods for which financial statements have not yet been issued. The amendments should be applied either in the period of adoption or retrospectively to each period in which the effect of the change in the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is recognized. The Company early-adopted this guidance by making the permitted election in the first quarter of 2018, recognizing a reclassification of $3.9 million from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings in the period of adoption. In general, in accounting for the release of income tax effects from accumulated other comprehensive income, the Company applies the individual item approach with respect to available-for-sale debt securities, and the portfolio approach with respect to pension, postretirement benefit plan obligations and currency translation matters.
ASU 2018-05, Income Taxes: Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118
In March 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update concerning the income tax accounting implications of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The update codifies SEC-related material within the Accounting Standards Codification pursuant to the issuance of SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (‘SAB 118’). SAB 118 provided clarifying guidance for how a public business entity should address the situation in which the accounting for certain income tax effects of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was not completed by the time financial statements were issued for the reporting period in which the legislation was enacted. In such circumstances, the incomplete effects are reported when a reasonable estimate can be determined, based on that estimate. Provisional amounts can be updated during a measurement period not exceeding one year. Disclosures concerning any incomplete effects and adjustments are required. The Company complied with the requirements of SAB 118 in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and no further changes were required to comply with this update when adopted in the three months ended March 31, 2018. During the six months ended June 30, 2018, there were no changes to any outstanding items as reported in Item 8, Note 23, "Taxation" to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.
Recently Issued Accounting Standard Not Yet Adopted
ASU 2018-11, Leases: Targeted Improvements
In July 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standards update that aims to reduce costs and ease implementation of the leases standard (ASU 2016-02) for financial statement preparers. The amendments in this update add a new transition option for the provisions of ASU 2016-02, and also provide a practical expedient that permits lessors to avoid  separating lease and nonlease components. As originally published, ASU 2016-02 required transition at the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements. This new additional transition option allows entities to adopt the provisions of ASU 2016-02 by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. In this situation any comparative periods prior to adoption would continue to be presented in accordance with existing US GAAP Topic 840, including associated disclosure requirements. The practical expedient allows lessors to not separate nonlease components from the associated lease component, similar to the expedient provided for lessees, subject to certain restrictions. The transition option is effective as part of the adoption of ASU 2016-02, which for public business entities is mandatory for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. For entities which have not already adopted ASU 2016-02, the practical expedient for lessor separation of nonlease components is effective at the same time as that standard. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance.