Description: The purpose of this session is to review and discuss the principles and guidelines published and/or under consideration within the accounting and the actuarial professions regarding the restatement of GAAP financial of a life company acquired in a transaction to be accounted for as a purchase transaction under SPB 016. Our purpose is also to review with you some of the specific approaches that have been taken, and the problems that have developed, in implementing purchase-GAAP in practice. From Record of the Society of Actuaries 1979, Volume 5, No. 1.

Description: Describes at a high level an outdated GAAP method for determining deferred tax accounting.

Description: This article asks the question of how to account for the purchase of a life insurance company. It outlines first what the extreme possibilities are, and second, what range of practical approaches might prove acceptable to both the accounting and actuarial profession.

Description: Feature article discussing deferred policy acquisition costs and recent proposed changes to the expenses allowed to be deferred.

Description: ASU 2018-12 introduced a new concept called “market risk benefits” (MRBs). MRBs are a new accounting classification for benefits within deposit contracts, offering protection from “other than nominal market risk.” This applies to products with account values, including variable and indexed annuities with guaranteed living or death benefits attached (aka GMxBs). ASU 2018-12 Section 944-40-30-19D mentions both a non-option and an option-based valuation approach to account for MRBs. This article considers the option-based approach. The purpose is to highlight weaknesses in the current application of the option approach to MRBs, propose an alternative method, and consider the benefits of the new approach. The intent of this article is to persuade practictioners / actuaries / accountants that this is a better approach for applying the fair value option method to market risk benefits.

Description: A discussion of some criticisms of the feasibility of companies converting to GAAP, in addition to pros and cons of the GAAP system.

Description: This article is about mutual life company statements being in conformity with GAAP.

Description: Provides an overview of SFAS 60, 91, 97, and 120 and the importance of U.S. GAAP for Asian insurance companies with a country by country analysis.

Description: This article highlights features of the SOA's Regulatory Web Resource. The intent is to encourage greater use of the Resource among section members.

Description: Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-12, commonly referred to as long duration targeted improvements (LDTI), is the most significant GAAP accounting change impacting the life insurance industry in the past 40 years. This article discusses the impact of LDTI on variable annuities (VA) and fixed indexed annuities (FIA) from a product development and in-force management angle. Detailed discussion topics include hedging and ALM, product strategy and development, and pricing. LDTI will cause many VA and FIA writers to re-evaluate their hedging and asset liability management (ALM) strategy following the move to fair value accounting under the new MRB requirement. Stakeholder appetite for accounting volatility and resulting changes to hedging and ALM may trigger changes in product mix and designs. In addition to updating pricing infrastructure to handle the new requirements, pricing actuaries will need to produce analyses to educate stakeholders on the risks and pricing implications of any changes to designs, hedging and ALM.