(6) Reinsurance

We use reinsurance extensively, which has a significant effect on our results of operations. Reinsurance arrangements do not relieve us of our primary obligation to the policyholder. Our reinsurance contracts typically do not have a fixed term. In general, the reinsurers’ ability to terminate coverage for existing cessions is limited to such circumstances as material breach of contract or nonpayment of premiums by the ceding company. Our reinsurance contracts generally contain provisions intended to provide the ceding company with the ability to cede future business on a basis consistent with historical terms. However, either party may terminate any of the contracts with respect to the future business upon appropriate notice to the other party. Generally, the reinsurance contracts do not limit the overall amount of the loss that can be incurred by the reinsurer.

Our policy is to limit the amount of life insurance retained on the life of any one person to $1 million. To limit our exposure with any one reinsurer, we monitor the concentration of credit risk we have with our reinsurance counterparties, as well as their financial condition. No credit losses related to our reinsurance counterparties have been experienced by the Company during the three-year period ended December 31, 2017.

Reinsurance recoverables represents ceded policy reserve balances and ceded claim liabilities. The amounts of ceded claim liabilities included in reinsurance recoverables that we paid and which are recoverable from those reinsurers were $28.6 million and $30.0 million as of December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. Benefits and claims ceded to reinsurers for 2017, 2016, and 2015 were $1,337.3 million, $1,205.6 million, and $1,178.6 million, respectively.

In connection with our corporate reorganization that included an initial public offering (“IPO”) of our common stock by Citigroup, Inc. (“Citigroup”), Primerica Life, Primerica Life Canada and NBLIC entered into significant coinsurance transactions (the “IPO coinsurance agreements”) on March 30, 2010 with three insurance companies then affiliated with Citigroup (collectively, the “IPO coinsurers”). Under the IPO coinsurance agreements, we ceded between 80% and 90% of the risks and rewards of our term life insurance policies in force at year-end 2009. Because these agreements were part of a business reorganization among entities under common control, they did not generate any deferred gain or loss upon their execution. Concurrent with signing these agreements, we transferred the corresponding account balances in respect of the coinsured policies along with the assets to support the statutory liabilities assumed by the IPO coinsurers. Each of the account balances transferred were at book value with no gain or loss recorded in net income. Beginning in 2017, policies reaching the end of their initial term period are no longer ceded under the IPO coinsurance transactions, but the existing YRT reinsurance already in place prior to the IPO will continue.

Three of the IPO coinsurance agreements satisfy U.S. GAAP risk transfer rules. Under these agreements, we ceded between 80% and 90% of our term life future policy benefit reserves, and we transferred a corresponding amount of assets to the IPO coinsurers. These transactions did not impact our future policy benefit reserves. As such, we have recorded an asset for the same amount of risk transferred in reinsurance recoverables. We also reduced DAC by a corresponding amount, which reduces future amortization expenses. In addition, we are transferring between 80% and 90% of all future premiums and benefits and claims associated with these policies to the corresponding reinsurance entities. We receive ongoing ceding allowances, which are reflected as a reduction to insurance expenses, to cover policy and claims administration expenses as well as certain corporate overhead charges under each of these reinsurance contracts.

The largest of the IPO coinsurance agreements is a coinsurance agreement originally between Primerica Life and Prime Reinsurance Company (“Prime Re”), an affiliate of Citigroup, where we ceded to Prime Re 80% of our U.S. (except New York) term life insurance business in force at year-end 2009 (the “80% U.S. Coinsurance Agreement”). Beginning on January 1, 2016, Pecan Re Inc. (“Pecan Re”), an insurance company owned by Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc. (“Swiss Re”), assumed Prime Re’s obligations under the 80% U.S. Coinsurance Agreement through a novation agreement (the “Swiss Re Novation Agreement”). In addition, the counterparties to the related trust and capital maintenance agreements that provide Primerica Life with statutory reinsurance credit for the 80% U.S. Coinsurance Agreement were replaced by Pecan Re and Swiss Re, respectively. No material terms and conditions of the 80% U.S. Coinsurance Agreement and the related trust and capital maintenance agreements were modified.

We have also ceded 80% of our Canadian term life insurance business in force at year-end 2009 in an IPO coinsurance agreement (the “80% Canada Coinsurance Agreement”) originally between Primerica Life Canada and Financial Reassurance Company 2010, Ltd. (“FRAC”). On September 23, 2016, Munich American Reassurance Company acquired FRAC from Citigroup. As part of this transaction, Munich Re of Malta, an insurance company owned by Munich American Reassurance Company, ultimately assumed FRAC’s obligations under the 80% Canada Coinsurance Agreement through a novation agreement (the “Munich Re Novation Agreement”). No material terms and conditions of the 80% Canada Coinsurance Agreement were modified.

In a fourth IPO coinsurance agreement, (the “10% Coinsurance Agreement”), we have ceded to Prime Re 10% of our U.S. (except New York) term life insurance business in force at year-end 2009 subject to an experience refund provision. As the 10% Coinsurance Agreement includes an experience refund provision, it does not satisfy U.S. GAAP risk transfer rules. As a result, we have accounted for this contract using deposit method accounting and have recognized a deposit asset in other assets on our consolidated balance sheets for assets backing the economic reserves. The deposit asset held in support of this agreement was $217.3 million and $202.4 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively. We make contributions to the deposit asset during the life of the agreement to fulfill our responsibility of funding the economic reserve. The market return on the deposit asset is reflected in net investment income during the life of the agreement. Prime Re is responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient assets to meet all statutory requirements. In exchange for our consent to the Swiss Re Novation Agreement discussed above, the finance charge on the statutory reserves in excess of economic reserves funded by Prime Re in support of the 10% Coinsurance Agreement was reduced from 3.0% to 2.0% beginning on July 1, 2015 and then from 2.0% to 0.5% beginning on January 1, 2016. This finance charge is reflected in interest expense in our consolidated statements of income.

The following table represents the Company’s in-force life insurance at December 31, 2017 and 2016:

	December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
	(Dollars in thousands)
Direct life insurance in force	$	767,001,938		$	731,822,070
Amounts ceded to other companies		(668,446,638	)		(643,364,460	)
Net life insurance in force	$	98,555,300		$	88,457,610
Percentage of reinsured life insurance in force		87	%		88	%

Reinsurance recoverables includes ceded reserve balances and ceded claim liabilities. Reinsurance recoverables and financial strength ratings by reinsurer were as follows:

	December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
	Reinsurance recoverables		A.M. Best rating	Reinsurance recoverables		A.M. Best rating
	(In thousands)
Pecan Re Inc. ^{(1) (2)}	$	2,725,795	NR	$	2,754,424	NR
SCOR Global Life Reinsurance Companies ⁽³⁾		354,458	A+		355,759	A
Munich Re of Malta ^{(2) (5)}		302,391	NR		282,382	NR
Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc. ⁽⁴⁾		245,543	A+		249,299	A+
American Health and Life Insurance Company ⁽²⁾		172,956	B		176,010	B
Munich American Reassurance Company		112,841	A+		106,471	A+
Korean Reinsurance Company		102,915	A		96,921	A
RGA Reinsurance Company		90,037	A+		84,473	A+
Hannover Life Reassurance Company		32,250	A+		22,929	A+
TOA Reinsurance Company		24,619	A		23,977	A+
All other reinsurers		41,368	-		40,917	-
Reinsurance recoverables	$	4,205,173		$	4,193,562

NR – not rated

⁽¹⁾	Pecan Re Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc.

⁽²⁾	Includes balances ceded under coinsurance transactions of term life insurance policies that were in force as of December 31, 2009. Amounts shown are net of their share of the reinsurance receivable from other reinsurers.

⁽³⁾	Includes amounts ceded to Transamerica Reinsurance Companies and fully retroceded to SCOR Global Life Reinsurance Companies.

⁽⁴⁾	Includes amounts ceded to Lincoln National Life Insurance and fully retroceded to Swiss Re Life & Health America Inc.

⁽⁵⁾	This entity, which is rated AA- by S&P, ultimately assumed FRAC's obligations under the 80% Canada Coinsurance Agreement as a result of the Munich Re Novation Agreement.

Certain reinsurers with which we do business receive group ratings. Individually, those reinsurers are SCOR Global Life Americas Reinsurance Company, SCOR Global Life U.S.A. Reinsurance Company, SCOR Global Life Re Insurance Company of Delaware, and SCOR Global Life of Canada.

The IPO coinsurance agreements include provisions to ensure that Primerica Life, Primerica Life Canada and NBLIC receive full regulatory credit for the reinsurance treaties. Under these agreements, the ceded business can be recaptured with no fee in the event the IPO reinsurers do not comply with the various safeguard provisions in their respective IPO coinsurance agreements. Pecan Re also has entered into a capital maintenance agreement requiring Swiss Re to provide additional funding, if needed, at any point during the term of the agreement up to the maximum as described in the capital maintenance agreement.