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Organization, Principles Of Consolidation And Basis Of Presentation
 3 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Organization, Principles Of Consolidation And Basis Of Presentation [Abstract]  
Organization, Principles Of Consolidation And Basis Of Presentation
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
 

As used in this Form 10-Q, the terms “StanCorp,” “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise requires.

1.       ORGANIZATION, PRINCIPLES OF CONSOLIDATION AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

StanCorp, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is a holding company and conducts business through wholly-owned operating subsidiaries throughout the United States (“U.S.”). Through its subsidiaries, StanCorp has the authority to underwrite insurance products in all 50 states. StanCorp operates through two segments: Insurance Services and Asset Management as well as an Other category. See “Note 5—Segments.”

StanCorp has the following wholly-owned operating subsidiaries: Standard Insurance Company (“Standard”), The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York, Standard Retirement Services, Inc. (“Standard Retirement Services”), StanCorp Equities, Inc. (“StanCorp Equities”), StanCorp Mortgage Investors, LLC (“StanCorp Mortgage Investors”), StanCorp Investment Advisers, Inc. (“StanCorp Investment Advisers”), StanCorp Real Estate, LLC (“StanCorp Real Estate”), Standard Management, Inc. (“Standard Management”) and Adaptu, LLC (“Adaptu”).

Standard, the Company's largest subsidiary, underwrites group and individual disability insurance and annuity products, group life and accidental death and dismemberment (“AD&D”) insurance, and provides group dental and group vision insurance, absence management services and retirement plan products. Founded in 1906, Standard is domiciled in Oregon, licensed in all states except New York, and licensed in the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands.

The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York was organized in 2000 and is licensed to provide group long term and short term disability insurance, individual disability insurance, group life and AD&D insurance and group dental insurance in New York.

The Standard is a service mark of StanCorp and its subsidiaries and is used as a brand mark and marketing name by Standard and The Standard Life Insurance Company of New York.

Standard Retirement Services administers and services StanCorp's retirement plans group annuity contracts and trust products. Retirement plan products are offered in all 50 states through Standard or Standard Retirement Services.

StanCorp Equities is a limited broker-dealer and member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. StanCorp Equities serves as principal underwriter and distributor for group variable annuity contracts issued by Standard and as the broker of record for certain retirement plans using the trust platform. StanCorp Equities carries no customer accounts but provides supervision and oversight for the distribution of group variable annuity contracts and of the sales activities of all registered representatives employed by StanCorp Equities and its affiliates.

StanCorp Mortgage Investors originates and services fixed-rate commercial mortgage loans for the investment portfolios of the Company's insurance subsidiaries. StanCorp Mortgage Investors also generates additional fee income from the origination and servicing of commercial mortgage loans participated to institutional investors.

StanCorp Investment Advisers is a Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) registered investment adviser providing performance analysis, fund selection support, model portfolios and other investment advisory, financial planning, and investment management services to its retirement plan clients, individual investors and subsidiaries of StanCorp.

StanCorp Real Estate is a property management company that owns and manages the Hillsboro, Oregon home office properties and other properties held for investment and held for sale. StanCorp Real Estate also manages the Portland, Oregon home office properties.

Standard Management owns and manages certain real estate properties held for sale from time-to-time in conjunction with our real estate business.

Adaptu provides an online service to help users plan and manage their financial lives.

Standard holds interests in tax-advantaged investments. These interests do not meet the requirements for consolidation under existing accounting standards, and thus the Company's interests in the tax-advantaged investments are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The total investment in these interests was $177.1 million and $128.0 million at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, respectively.

In October 2010, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts. ASU No. 2010-26 amends the codification guidance for insurance entities to eliminate the diversity of accounting treatment related to deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”). The Company has adopted this standard retrospectively as of January 1, 2012, and comparative financial statements of prior periods have been adjusted.

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements of StanCorp and its subsidiaries have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in conformance with the requirements of Form 10-Q pursuant to the rules and regulations of the SEC. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for complete financial statements. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated on a consolidated basis. 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 and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the financial statement date, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Actual results may differ from those estimates. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial condition at September 30, 2012, and for the results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011. Interim results for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2012. This report should be read in conjunction with the Company's 2011 annual report on Form 10-K and the Company's current report on Form 8-K dated July 18, 2012 which updated certain items in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the retrospective adoption of ASU No. 2010-26, Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts.