SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND PRONOUNCEMENTS

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to U.S. GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") in the form of accounting standards updates ("ASU") to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASU. ASU listed below include those that have been adopted during the current fiscal year and/or those that have been issued but not yet adopted as of the date of this filing. ASU not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or not material.

Adoption of ASU 2016-01

Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Liabilities using a modified retrospective method. Adoption of this ASU impacted the Company’s accounting and presentation related to equity investments. The most significant impact is that the changes in fair value of equity securities previously classified as “available for sale” are to be reported in net income within “Asset administration fees and other income” in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Prior to this, the changes in fair value on equity securities classified as “available for sale” were reported in “Accumulated other comprehensive income”.

The impacts of this ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements can be categorized as follows: (1) Changes to the presentation within the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position; (2) Cumulative-effect Adjustment Upon Adoption; and (3) Changes to Accounting Policies. Each of these components is described below. This section is meant to serve as an update to, and should be read in conjunction with Note 2 to the Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

(1) Changes to the presentation within the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Because of the fundamental accounting changes as described in section "(3) Changes to Accounting Policies" below, the Company determined that changes to the presentation of certain balances in the investment section of the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position were also necessary to maintain clarity and logical presentation. The table below illustrates these changes by presenting the balances as previously reported in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and the reclassifications that were made, along with a footnote explanation of each reclassification.



	December 31, 2017
	As previously reported		Reclassifications									As currently reported
Statement of Financial Position Line Items			(1)			(2)			(3)
	(in thousands)
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale, at fair value	$	10,110,786										$	10,110,786
*Fixed maturities, trading, at fair value	0					166,360						166,360
Trading account assets, at fair value	181,717					(181,717		)				0
Equity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value	18		(18		)							0
*Equity securities, at fair value	0		18			15,357						15,375
Commercial mortgage and other loans	1,387,012											1,387,012
Policy loans	12,558											12,558
Short-term investments	711,071											711,071
Other long-term investments	335,811								(335,811		)	0
*Other invested assets	0								335,811			335,811
Total investments	$	12,738,973	$	0		$	0		$	0		$	12,738,973

* - New line item effective January 1, 2018.

Strikethrough - Eliminated line item effective January 1, 2018.


(1)	Retitled “Equity securities, available-for-sale, at fair value” to “Equity securities, at fair value” as equity securities can no longer be described as available-for-sale.


(2)	Eliminated the line item “Trading account assets, at fair value” and reclassified each component to another line item.


(3)	Retitled “Other long-term investments” to “Other invested assets”.

(2) Cumulative-effect Adjustment Upon Adoption

The provisions of ASU 2016-01 require that the Company apply the amendments through a cumulative-effect adjustment to the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. The following table illustrates the impact on the Company’s Consolidated Statement of Financial Position as a result of recording this cumulative-effect adjustment on January 1, 2018.



Summary of ASU 2016-01 Transition Impacts on the Consolidated Statement
of Financial Position upon Adoption on January 1, 2018
(in thousands)
	Increase / (Decrease)
Other invested assets	$	423
Total assets	$	423
Income taxes	$	89
Total liabilities	89
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(3		)
Retained earnings	337
Total equity	334
Total liabilities and equity	$	423

(3) Changes to Accounting Policies

This section summarizes the changes in our accounting policies resulting from the adoption of ASU 2016-01 as well as an update to the components of the financial statement line items impacted by the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Financial Position presentation changes described above.

ASSETS

Fixed maturities, trading is a new financial statement line item comprised of fixed maturities that are carried at fair value. Prior to the adoption of the standard, these fixed maturities were reported in “Trading account assets, at fair value”. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on these investments are reported in “Asset administration fees and other income”, and interest and dividend income from these investments is reported in “Net investment income”.

Equity securities, at fair value is the new title of the financial statement line item formerly titled “Equity securities, available for sale, at fair value”. As a result of the adoption of the standard, equity securities previously reported in “Trading account assets, at fair value” were reclassified to “Equity securities, at fair value”. The retitled financial statement line is comprised of common stock, mutual fund shares, and preferred stock, which are carried at fair value. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on these investments are reported in “Asset administration fees and other income”, and dividend income is reported in “Net investment income” on the ex-dividend date. Prior to the adoption of the standard, for the equity investments reported in the financial statement line formerly titled “Equity securities, available for sale, at fair value”, the associated net realized gains and losses were included in “Realized investment gains (losses), net” and the associated net unrealized gains and losses were included in “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)” (“AOCI”). In addition, with the adoption of the standard, the identification of OTTI for these investments is no longer needed as all of these investments are now measured at fair value with changes in fair value reported in earnings.

Other invested assets is the new title of the financial statement line formerly titled “Other long-term investments”. Investments previously reported in “Other long-term investments” were reclassified to “Other invested assets”. The retitled financial statement line consists of the Company’s non-coupon investments in Limited Partnerships and Limited Liability Companies ("LPs/LLCs") (other than operating joint ventures), wholly-owned investment real estate and derivative assets. LPs/LLCs interests are accounted for using either the equity method of accounting, or at fair value with changes in fair value reported in “Asset administration fees and other income”. Prior to the adoption of the standard, the Company applied the cost method of accounting for certain LPs/LLCs interest when its partnership interest was considered minor. The standard effectively eliminated the cost method of accounting for these equity investments. The Company’s income from investments in LPs/LLCs accounted for using the equity method, other than the Company’s investments in operating joint ventures, is included in “Net investment income.” The carrying value of these investments is written down, or impaired, to fair value when a decline in value is considered to be other-than-temporary. In applying the equity method (including assessment for OTTI), the Company uses financial information provided by the investee, generally on a one to three month lag. For the investments reported at fair value with changes in fair value reported in current earnings, the associated realized and unrealized gains and losses are reported in “Asset administration fees and other income”.

REVENUES AND BENEFITS AND EXPENSES

Asset administration fees and other income principally includes asset-based asset management fees, which are recognized in the period in which the services are performed. This financial statement line also includes realized and unrealized gains or losses from investments reported as “Fixed maturities, trading”, “Equity securities, at fair value”, and “Other invested assets” that are measured at fair value.

Other ASU adopted during the six months ended June 30, 2018.



Standard	Description	Effective date and method of adoption	Effect on the financial statements or other significant matters
ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)	The ASU is based on the core principle that revenue is recognized to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods and services. The standard also requires additional disclosures about the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from customer contracts, and assets recognized from the costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer. Revenue recognition for insurance contracts and financial instruments is explicitly scoped out of the standard.	January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method which will include a cumulative-effect adjustment on the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption.	Adoption of the ASU did not have an impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (a Consensus of the Emerging Issues Task Force)	This ASU addresses diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The standard provides clarity on the treatment of eight specifically defined types of cash inflows and outflows.	January 1, 2018 using the retrospective method (with early adoption permitted provided that all amendments are adopted in the same period).	Adoption of the ASU did not have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ASU issued but not yet adopted as of June 30, 2018



Standard	Description	Effective date and method of adoption	Effect on the financial statements or other significant matters
ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments	This ASU provides a new current expected credit loss model to account for credit losses on certain financial assets and off-balance sheet exposures (e.g., loans held for investment, debt securities held to maturity, reinsurance receivables, net investments in leases and loan commitments). The model requires an entity to estimate lifetime credit losses related to such financial assets and exposures based on relevant information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. The standard also modifies the current other-than-temporary impairment standard for available-for-sale debt securities to require the use of an allowance rather than a direct write down of the investment, and replaces existing standard for purchased credit deteriorated loans and debt securities.	January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method which will include a cumulative-effect adjustment on the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. However, prospective application is required for purchased credit deteriorated assets previously accounted for under ASU 310-30 and for debt securities for which an other-than-temporary-impairment was recognized prior to the date of adoption. Early adoption is permitted beginning January 1, 2019.	The Company is currently assessing the impact of the ASU on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2017-08, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities	This ASU requires certain premiums on callable debt securities to be amortized to the earliest call date.	January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method (with early adoption permitted) which will include a cumulative-effect adjustment on the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption.	The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities	This ASU makes targeted changes to the existing hedge accounting model to better portray the economics of an entity’s risk management activities and to simplify the use of hedge accounting.	January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method (with early adoption permitted) which will include a cumulative-effect adjustment on the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption.	The Company does not expect the adoption of the ASU to have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash

In November 2016, the FASB issued this ASU to address diversity in practice from entities classifying and presenting transfers between cash and restricted cash as operating, investing, or financing activities, or as a combination of those activities in the Statement of Cash Flows. The ASU requires entities to show the changes in the total of cash, cash equivalents, restricted cash, and restricted cash equivalents in the Statement of Cash Flows. As a result, transfers between such categories will no longer be presented in the Statement of Cash Flows.

January 1, 2018 using the retrospective method (with early adoption permitted).

Adoption of the ASU did not have a significant impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

ASU 2018-02, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

In February 2018, this ASU was issued following the enactment of the Tax Act of 2017. This ASU allows an entity to elect a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded effects resulting from the Tax Act of 2017.

January 1, 2019 with early adoption permitted. The ASU 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. federal corporate income tax rate in the Tax Act of 2017 is recognized.

The Company early adopted the ASU effective January 1, 2018 and elected to apply the ASU in the period of adoption subsequent to recording the adoption impacts of ASU 2016-01 as described above. As a result, the Company reclassified stranded effects resulting from the Tax Act of 2017 by decreasing accumulated other comprehensive income and increasing retained earnings, each
by $36.7 million. Stranded effects unrelated to the Tax Act of 2017 are generally released from accumulated other comprehensive income when an entire portfolio of the type of item related to the
stranded effect is liquidated, sold or extinguished (i.e., portfolio approach).