Derivative Instruments

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS

Types of Derivative Instruments and Derivative Strategies

Interest Rate Contracts

Interest rate swaps, options and futures are used by the Company to reduce risks from changes in interest rates, manage interest rate exposures arising from mismatches between assets and liabilities (including duration mismatches) and to hedge against changes in the value of assets it owns or anticipates acquiring or selling.

Swaps may be attributed to specific assets or liabilities or may be used on a portfolio basis. Under interest rate swaps, the Company agrees with counterparties to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed-rate and floating-rate interest amounts calculated by reference to an agreed upon notional principal amount.

The Company also uses swaptions, interest rate caps and interest rate floors to manage interest rate risk. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap at a future date. The Company pays a premium for purchased swaptions and receives a premium for written swaptions. In an interest rate cap, the buyer receives payments at the end of each period in which the interest rate exceeds the agreed strike price. Similarly, in an interest rate floor, the buyer receives payments at the end of each period in which the interest rate is below the agreed strike price. Swaptions and interest rate caps and floors are included in interest rate options.

In exchange-traded interest rate futures transactions, the Company purchases or sells a specified number of contracts, the values of which are determined by the values of underlying referenced investments, and posts variation margin on a daily basis in an amount equal to the difference in the daily market values of those contracts. The Company enters into exchange-traded futures with regulated futures commission’s merchants who are members of a trading exchange.

Equity Contracts

Equity index options and futures are contracts which will settle in cash based on differentials in the underlying indices at the time of exercise and the strike price. The Company uses combinations of purchases and sales of equity index derivatives to hedge the effects of adverse changes in equity indices within a predetermined range.

Total return swaps are contracts whereby the Company agrees with counterparties to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between the return on an asset (or market index) and LIBOR plus an associated funding spread based on a notional amount. The Company generally uses total return swaps to hedge the effect of adverse changes in equity indices.

Foreign Exchange Contracts

Currency derivatives, including currency swaps and forwards, are contracts used by the Company to reduce risks from changes in currency exchange rates with respect to investments denominated in foreign currencies that the Company either holds or intends to acquire or sell.

Under currency forwards, the Company agrees with counterparties to deliver a specified amount of an identified currency at a specified future date. Typically, the price is agreed upon at the time of the contract and payment for such a contract is made at the specified future date. The Company executes forward sales of the hedged currency in exchange for U.S. dollars at a specified exchange rate.

Under currency swaps, the Company agrees with counterparties to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between one currency and another at an exchange rate and calculated by reference to an agreed principal amount. Generally, the principal amount of each currency is exchanged at the beginning and termination of the currency swap by each party. These transactions are entered into pursuant to master agreements that provide for a single net payment to be made by one counterparty for payments made in the same currency at each due date.

Credit Contracts

Credit derivatives are used by the Company to enhance the return on the Company’s investment portfolio by creating credit exposure similar to an investment in public fixed maturity cash instruments. With credit derivatives the Company sells credit protection on a single name reference, or certain index reference, and in return receives a quarterly premium. With credit default derivatives, this premium or credit spread generally corresponds to the difference between the yield on the referenced name’s public fixed maturity cash instruments and swap rates, at the time the agreement is executed. If there is an event of default by the referenced name, as defined by the agreement, then the Company is obligated to pay the counterparty the referenced amount of the contract and receive in return the referenced defaulted security or similar security or pay the referenced amount less the auction recovery rate. See "Credit Derivatives" below for a discussion of guarantees related to credit derivatives written. In addition to selling credit protection, the Company may purchase credit protection using credit derivatives in order to hedge specific credit exposures in the Company’s investment portfolio.

Embedded Derivatives

The Company previously sold variable annuity products, which may include guaranteed benefit features that are accounted for as embedded derivatives. Related to these embedded derivatives, the Company has entered into reinsurance agreements to transfer the risk associated with certain benefit features to an affiliate, Prudential Insurance. Additionally, the Company assumed variable annuities living benefit guarantees embedded within the base contracts from Pruco Life, excluding PLNJ business which was reinsured to Prudential Insurance. These reinsurance agreements are derivatives accounted for in the same manner as embedded derivatives. See Note 1 for additional information on the change to the reinsurance agreements effective April 1, 2016.

These derivatives are carried at fair value and are marked to market through “Realized investment gains (losses), net” based on the change in value of the underlying contractual guarantees, which are determined using valuation models, as described in Note 4.

Primary Risks Managed by Derivatives

The table below provides a summary of the gross notional amount and fair value of derivatives contracts by the primary underlying, excluding embedded derivatives which are recorded with the associated host and related reinsurance recoverables. Many derivative instruments contain multiple underlyings. The fair value amounts below represent the gross fair value of derivative contracts prior to taking into account the netting effects of master netting agreements, cash collateral held with the same counterparty, and non-performance risk.

Based on notional amounts, most of the Company’s derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting. Derivatives that economically hedge embedded derivatives do not qualify for hedge accounting because changes in the fair value of the embedded derivatives are already recorded in net income.

	March 31, 2017							December 31, 2016
			Gross Fair Value							Gross Fair Value
Primary Underlying	Notional		Assets		Liabilities			Notional		Assets		Liabilities
	(in thousands)
Derivatives Designated as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Currency/Interest Rate
Foreign Currency Swaps	$	543,434	$	32,732	$	(7,063	)	$	472,701	$	38,249	$	(2,776	)
Total Qualifying Hedges	$	543,434	$	32,732	$	(7,063	)	$	472,701	$	38,249	$	(2,776	)
Derivatives Not Qualifying as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Interest Rate
Interest Rate Futures	$	2,184,000	$	6,825	$	0		$	2,474,000	$	23,967	$	0
Interest Rate Swaps	86,931,925		4,247,120		(1,227,969		)	81,872,695		4,439,270		(1,163,388		)
Interest Rate Options	10,324,000		195,589		(119,086		)	10,825,000		278,763		(135,554		)
Interest Rate Forwards	694,726		2,512		(19,883		)	498,311		0		(25,082		)
Foreign Currency
Foreign Currency Forwards	1,373		0		(5		)	1,491		6		0
Currency/Interest Rate
Foreign Currency Swaps	113,626		15,243		(159		)	130,470		16,627		(635		)
Equity
Equity Futures	0		0		0			1,269,044		0		(5,051		)
Total Return Swaps	11,312,753		17,046		(253,724		)	12,784,166		69,827		(281,193		)
Equity Options	5,895,000		51,987		(59,092		)	4,610,001		29,650		(45,732		)
Total Non-Qualifying Hedges	$	117,457,403	$	4,536,322	$	(1,679,918	)	$	114,465,178	$	4,858,110	$	(1,656,635	)
Total Derivatives (1)	$	118,000,837	$	4,569,054	$	(1,686,981	)	$	114,937,879	$	4,896,359	$	(1,659,411	)

(1) Excludes embedded derivatives and the related reinsurance recoverables which contain multiple underlyings.

The fair value of the embedded derivatives, included in "Future policy benefits," was a net liability of $7,169 million and $7,707 million as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The fair value of the related reinsurance recoverables was an asset of $215 million and $231 million as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively, included in "Reinsurance recoverables". See Note 7 for additional information on these reinsurance agreements.

The fair value of the embedded derivatives pertaining to the variable annuity products with a market value adjustment option assumed from Pruco Life as part of the Variable Annuities Recapture, included in "Reinsurance payables," was a net asset of $3 million and $10 million as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively.

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

The following table presents recognized derivative instruments (excluding embedded derivatives and associated reinsurance recoverables), and repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements that are offset in the Unaudited Interim Statements of Financial Position, and/or are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement, irrespective of whether they are offset in the Unaudited Interim Statements of Financial Position.

	March 31, 2017
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Financial Instruments		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position			Net Amounts Presented in the Statement of Financial Position		Financial Instruments/ Collateral(1)		Net Amount
	(in thousands)
Offsetting of Financial Assets:
Derivatives	$	4,569,054	$	(4,495,920	)	$	73,134	$	0	$	73,134
Securities purchased under agreements to resell	0		0			0		0		0
Total Assets	$	4,569,054	$	(4,495,920	)	$	73,134	$	0	$	73,134
Offsetting of Financial Liabilities:
Derivatives	$	1,686,981	$	(1,686,981	)	$	0	$	0	$	0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	0		0			0		0		0
Total Liabilities	$	1,686,981	$	(1,686,981	)	$	0	$	0	$	0

	December 31, 2016
	Gross Amounts of Recognized Financial Instruments		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Position			Net Amounts Presented in the Statement of Financial Position		Financial Instruments/ Collateral(1)			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
Offsetting of Financial Assets:
Derivatives	$	4,872,392	$	(4,582,540	)	$	289,852	$	0		$	289,852
Securities purchased under agreements to resell	255,000		0			255,000		(255,000		)	0
Total Assets	$	5,127,392	$	(4,582,540	)	$	544,852	$	(255,000	)	$	289,852
Offsetting of Financial Liabilities:
Derivatives	$	1,654,360	$	(1,654,360	)	$	0	$	0		$	0
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase	0		0			0		0			0
Total Liabilities	$	1,654,360	$	(1,654,360	)	$	0	$	0		$	0

(1) Amounts exclude the excess of collateral received/pledged from/to the counterparty.

For information regarding the rights of offset associated with the derivative assets and liabilities in the table above see “Credit Risk” below and Note 9.

Cash Flow Hedges

The primary derivative instruments used by the Company in its cash flow hedge accounting relationships are currency swaps. These instruments are only designated for hedge accounting in instances where the appropriate criteria are met. The Company does not use futures, options, credit, equity or embedded derivatives in any of its cash flow hedge accounting relationships.

The following tables provide the financial statement classification and impact of derivatives used in qualifying and non-qualifying hedge relationships, excluding the offset of the hedged item in an effective hedge relationship.

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2017
	Realized Investment Gains (Losses)			Net Investment Income		Other Income			AOCI(1)
	(in thousands)
Derivatives Designated as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Cash flow hedges
Currency/Interest Rate	$	0		$	1,331	$	(2,702	)	$	(5,819	)
Total cash flow hedges	0			1,331		(2,702		)	(5,819		)
Derivatives Not Qualifying as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Interest Rate	(168,806		)	0		0			0
Currency	(14		)	0		0			0
Currency/Interest Rate	(605		)	0		(44		)	0
Credit	0			0		0			0
Equity	(618,511		)	0		0			0
Embedded Derivatives	800,417			0		0			0
Total non-qualifying hedges	12,481			0		(44		)	0
Total	$	12,481		$	1,331	$	(2,746	)	$	(5,819	)

	Three Months Ended March 31, 2016
	Realized Investment Gains (Losses)			Net Investment Income		Other Income			AOCI(1)
	(in thousands)
Derivatives Designated as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Cash flow hedges
Currency/Interest Rate	$	0		$	251	$	169		$	(4,183	)
Total cash flow hedges	0			251		169			(4,183		)
Derivatives Not Qualifying as Hedge Accounting Instruments:
Interest Rate	45,149			0		0			0
Currency	(127		)	0		0			0
Currency/Interest Rate	(3,058		)	0		(34		)	0
Credit	0			0		0			0
Equity	(19,413		)	0		0			0
Embedded Derivatives	(34,161		)	0		0			0
Total non-qualifying hedges	(11,610		)	0		(34		)	0
Total	$	(11,610	)	$	251	$	135		$	(4,183	)

(1) Amounts deferred in AOCI.

For the three months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, the ineffective portion of derivatives accounted for using hedge accounting was not material to the Company’s results of operations. Also, there were no material amounts reclassified into earnings relating to instances in which the Company discontinued cash flow hedge accounting because the forecasted transaction did not occur by the anticipated date or within the additional time period permitted by the authoritative guidance for the accounting for derivatives and hedging.

Presented below is a rollforward of current period cash flow hedges in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” before taxes:

	(in thousands)
Balance, December 31, 2016	$	11,745
Net deferred gains (losses) on cash flow hedges from January 1 to March 31, 2017	(4,207		)
Amounts reclassified into current period earnings	(1,612		)
Balance, March 31, 2017	$	5,926

Using March 31, 2017 values, it is estimated that a pre-tax gain of approximately $6 million will be reclassified from AOCI to earnings during the subsequent twelve months ending March 31,2018, offset by amounts pertaining to the hedged item. As of March 31, 2017, the Company did not have any qualifying cash flow hedges of forecasted transactions other than those related to the variability of the payment or receipt of interest or foreign currency amounts on existing financial instruments. The maximum length of time for which these variable cash flows are hedged is 19 years. Income amounts deferred in AOCI as a result of cash flow hedges are included in "Net unrealized investment gains (losses)" within OCI in the Unaudited Interim Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss).

Credit Derivatives

The Company has no exposure from credit derivative positions where it has written or purchased credit protection as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

Credit Risk

The Company is exposed to credit-related losses in the event of non-performance by its counterparty to financial derivative transactions. The Company has credit risk exposure to an affiliate, Prudential Global Funding, LLC (“PGF”), related to its OTC derivative transactions. PGF manages credit risk with external counterparties by entering into derivative transactions with highly rated major international financial institutions and other creditworthy counterparties, and by obtaining collateral, such as cash and securities, when appropriate. Additionally, limits are set on single party credit exposures which are subject to periodic management review.

Under fair value measurements, the Company incorporates the market’s perception of its own and the counterparty’s non-performance risk in determining the fair value of the portion of its OTC derivative assets and liabilities that are uncollateralized. Credit spreads are applied to the derivative fair values on a net basis by counterparty. To reflect the Company’s own credit spread, a proxy based on relevant debt spreads is applied to OTC derivative net liability positions. Similarly, the Company’s counterparty’s credit spread is applied to OTC derivative net asset positions.