Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements
In December 2013, the FASB issued updated guidance establishing a single definition of a public entity for use in financial accounting and reporting guidance. This new guidance is effective for all current and future reporting periods and did not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or financial statement disclosures.
In July 2013, the FASB issued new guidance regarding derivatives. The guidance permits the Fed Funds Effective Swap Rate (or Overnight Index Swap Rate) to be used as a U.S. benchmark interest rate for hedge accounting, in addition to the United States Treasury rate and London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). The guidance also removes the restriction on using different benchmark rates for similar hedges. The guidance is effective for qualifying new or redesignated hedging relationships entered into on or after July 17, 2013, and should be applied prospectively. Adoption of the guidance did not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, and financial statement disclosures.
In February 2013, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income. Under the guidance, an entity is required to separately present information about significant items reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income by component as well as changes in accumulated other comprehensive income balances by component in either the financial statements or the notes to the financial statements. The guidance does not change the items that are reported in other comprehensive income, does not change when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income, and does not amend any existing requirements for reporting net income or other comprehensive income. The guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2012, and should be applied prospectively. The disclosures required by this guidance are included in Note 15.
In December 2011 and January 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance regarding the disclosure of recognized derivative instruments (including bifurcated embedded derivatives), repurchase agreements and securities borrowing/lending transactions that are offset in the statement of financial position or are subject to an enforceable master netting arrangement or similar agreement (irrespective of whether they are offset in the statement of financial position). This new guidance requires an entity to disclose information on both a gross and net basis about instruments and transactions within the scope of this guidance. This new guidance is effective for interim or annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013, and should be applied retrospectively for all comparative periods presented. The disclosures required by this guidance are included in Note 21.
In December 2012, the Company adopted retrospectively a change in method of applying an accounting principle for the Company's pension plans. The change in accounting method relates to the calculation of market related value of pension plan assets, used to determine net periodic pension cost. The impact of this change in accounting method on net income for the year ended December 31, 2012, was an increase of $96 million ($0.21 diluted earnings per share of Common stock). In addition, this change resulted in a cumulative increase of $144 million in retained earnings previously reported for December 31, 2009, with a corresponding decrease in AOCI. For additional information on the change in accounting method for the Company's pension plans, see Note 18.
Effective January 1, 2012, the Company adopted, retrospectively, new authoritative guidance to address diversity in practice regarding the interpretation of which costs relating to the acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts qualify for deferral. Under the amended guidance, acquisition costs are to include only those costs that are directly related to the acquisition or renewal of insurance contracts by applying a model similar to the accounting for loan origination costs. An entity may defer incremental direct costs of contract acquisition with independent third parties or employees that are essential to the contract transaction, as well as the portion of employee compensation, including payroll fringe benefits and other costs directly related to underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical inspection, and contract selling for successfully negotiated contracts. Prior period financial information presented in these financial statements has been adjusted to reflect the retrospective adoption of the amended guidance. Retained earnings and AOCI previously reported for December 31, 2009, were reduced $2,358 million and $90 million, respectively, as a result of this retrospective adoption. The lower level of costs now qualifying for deferral will be only partially offset by a lower level of amortization of “Deferred policy acquisition costs”, and, as such, will initially result in lower earnings in future periods, primarily within the International Insurance and Individual Annuities segments. The impact to the International Insurance segment largely reflects lower deferrals of allocated costs of its proprietary distribution system, while the impact to the Individual Annuities segment mainly reflects lower deferrals of its wholesaler costs. This amended guidance is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011, and permits, but does not require, retrospective application. The Company adopted this guidance effective January 1, 2012, and applied the retrospective method of adoption. While the adoption of this amended guidance changes the timing of when certain costs are reflected in the Company's results of operations, it has no effect on the total acquisition costs to be recognized over time and has no impact on the Company's cash flows.
In September 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance regarding the application of the goodwill impairment test. The updated guidance allows an entity to first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is not necessary. However, if an entity concludes otherwise, then it must perform the first step of the two-step impairment test by calculating the fair value of the reporting unit and comparing the fair value with the carrying amount of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, then the entity is required to perform the second step of the goodwill impairment test to measure the impairment loss, if any. An entity has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment for any reporting unit in any period and to proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. An entity may resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. The updated guidance is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company's early adoption of this guidance, as permitted, effective December 31, 2011, had no impact on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, and financial statement disclosures.
In June 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the presentation of comprehensive income. The updated guidance eliminates the option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders' equity. Under the updated guidance, an entity has the option to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income either in a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The updated guidance does not change the items that are reported in other comprehensive income or when an item of other comprehensive income must be reclassified to net income. The Company opted to present the total of comprehensive income, the components of net income, and the components of other comprehensive income in two separate but consecutive statements. The Consolidated Financial Statements included herein reflect the adoption of this updated guidance.
In May 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the fair value measurements and disclosure requirements. The updated guidance clarifies existing guidance related to the application of fair value measurement methods and requires expanded disclosures. This new guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2011, and should be applied prospectively. The expanded disclosures required by this guidance are included in Note 20. Adoption of this guidance did not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations.
In April 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance regarding the assessment of effective control for repurchase agreements. This new guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning on or after December 15, 2011, and should be applied prospectively to transactions or modifications of existing transactions that occur on or after the effective date. The Company's adoption of this guidance did not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, and financial statement disclosures.
In April 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance clarifying which restructurings constitute troubled debt restructurings. It is intended to assist creditors in their evaluation of whether conditions exist that constitute a troubled debt restructuring. This new guidance is effective for the first interim or annual reporting period beginning on or after June 15, 2011, and should be applied retrospectively to the beginning of the annual reporting period of adoption. The Company's adoption of this guidance in the third quarter of 2011 did not have a significant effect on the Company's consolidated financial position, results of operations, or financial statement disclosures