Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Basis of Presentation

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to adopt accounting policies and make estimates and assumptions that affect amounts reported on the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. In applying these policies and estimates, management makes subjective and complex judgments that frequently require assumptions about matters that are inherently uncertain. Many of these policies, estimates and related judgments are common in the insurance and financial services industries; others are specific to the Company’s business and operations. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Consolidation of Subsidiaries, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Consolidation

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Brighthouse Financial, as well as partnerships and limited liability companies (“LLCs”) that the Company controls. Intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

The Company uses the equity method of accounting for investments in limited partnerships and LLCs when it has more than a minor ownership interest or more than a minor influence over the investee’s operations. The Company generally recognizes its share of the investee’s earnings on a three-month lag in instances where the investee’s financial information is not sufficiently timely or when the investee’s reporting period differs from the Company’s reporting period. When the Company has virtually no influence over the investee’s operations, the investment is carried at fair value.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the prior year periods’ interim condensed consolidated financial statements and related footnotes thereto have been reclassified to conform with the current period presentation as may be discussed when applicable in the Notes to the Interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

The accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented in conformity with GAAP. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of full year performance. The December 31, 2019 consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited consolidated financial statements included in Brighthouse Financial, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 (the “2019 Annual Report”), which include all disclosures required by GAAP. Therefore, these interim condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements of the Company included in the 2019 Annual Report.

New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

Changes to GAAP are established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) in the form of accounting standards updates (“ASUs”) to the FASB Accounting Standards Codification. The Company considers the applicability and impact of all ASUs. ASUs not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. ASUs adopted as of June 30, 2020 are summarized as follows:

Standard	Description	Effective Date	Impact on Financial Statements
ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”)	The amendments to Topic 326 replace the incurred loss impairment methodology for certain financial instruments with one that reflects expected credit losses based on historical loss information, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The new guidance also requires that an other-than-temporary impairment on a debt security will be recognized as an allowance going forward, such that improvements in expected future cash flows after an impairment will no longer be reflected as a prospective yield adjustment through net investment income, but rather a reversal of the previous impairment and recognized through realized investment gains and losses.	January 1, 2020 using the modified retrospective method	The Company recorded an after tax net decrease to retained earnings of $14 million and a net increase to accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) of $3 million for the cumulative effect of adoption. The adjustment included establishing or updating the allowance for credit losses on fixed maturity securities, mortgage loans, and other invested assets.

ASUs issued but not yet adopted as of June 30, 2020 are summarized as follows:

Standard	Description	Effective Date	Impact on Financial Statements
ASU 2018-12, Financial Services-Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts	The amendments to Topic 944 will result in significant changes to the accounting for long-duration insurance contracts. These changes (1) require all guarantees that qualify as market risk benefits to be measured at fair value, (2) require more frequent updating of assumptions and modify existing discount rate requirements for certain insurance liabilities, (3) modify the methods of amortization for deferred policy acquisition costs (“DAC”), and (4) require new qualitative and quantitative disclosures around insurance contract asset and liability balances and the judgments, assumptions and methods used to measure those balances. The market risk benefit guidance is required to be applied on a retrospective basis, while the changes to guidance for insurance liabilities and DAC may be applied to existing carrying amounts on the effective date or on a retrospective basis.	The amendments are currently effective for the Company on January 1, 2022. On July 7, the FASB released an exposure draft which if adopted, will change the effective date of the amendments to January 1, 2023.	The Company continues to evaluate the new guidance and therefore is unable to estimate the impact to its financial statements. The most significant impact is expected to be the measurement of liabilities for variable annuity guarantees.

Investment, Policy

For fixed maturity securities in an unrealized loss position, management first assesses whether the Company intends to sell, or whether it is more likely than not it will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to estimated fair value through net investment gains (losses). For fixed maturity securities that do not meet the aforementioned criteria, management evaluates whether the decline in estimated fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. Inherent in management’s evaluation of the security are assumptions and estimates about the operations of the issuer and its future earnings potential. Considerations used in the allowance for credit loss evaluation process include, but are not limited to: (i) the extent to which estimated fair value is less than amortized cost; (ii) any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency; (iii) adverse conditions specifically related to the security, industry or geographic area; and (iv) payment structure of the fixed maturity security and the likelihood of the issuer being able to make payments in the future or the issuer’s failure to make scheduled interest and principal payments. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis, a credit loss is deemed to exist and an allowance for credit losses is recorded, limited by the amount that the estimated fair value is less than the amortized cost basis, with a corresponding charge to net investment gains (losses). Any unrealized losses that have not been recorded through an allowance for credit losses are recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) (“OCI”).

Once a security specific allowance for credit losses is established, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security continues to be reassessed. Any changes in the security specific allowance for credit losses are recorded as a provision for (or reversal of) credit loss expense in net investment gains (losses).

Fixed maturity securities are also evaluated to determine whether any amounts have become uncollectible. When all, or a portion, of a security is deemed uncollectible, the uncollectible portion is written-off with an adjustment to amortized cost and a corresponding reduction to the allowance for credit losses.

Accrued interest receivables are presented separate from the amortized cost basis of fixed maturity securities. An allowance for credit losses is not estimated on an accrued interest receivable, rather receivable balances 90-days past due are deemed uncollectible and are written off with a corresponding reduction to net investment income. The accrued interest receivable on fixed maturity securities totaled $504 million at June 30, 2020 and is included in accrued investment income.

Fixed maturity securities are also evaluated to determine if they qualify as purchased financial assets with credit deterioration (“PCD”). To determine if the credit deterioration experienced since origination is more than insignificant, both (i) the extent of the credit deterioration and (ii) any rating agency downgrades are evaluated. For securities categorized as PCD assets, the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security are compared to the par value of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the par value, credit losses are embedded in the purchase price of the PCD asset. In this situation, both an allowance for credit losses and amortized cost gross-up is recorded, limited by the amount that the estimated fair value is less than the grossed-up amortized cost basis. Any difference between the purchase price and the present value of cash flows is amortized or accreted into net investment income over the life of the PCD asset. Any subsequent PCD asset allowance for credit losses is evaluated in a manner similar to the process described above for fixed maturity securities.

The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the mortgage loan’s amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the mortgage loan. The loan balance, or a portion of the loan balance, is written-off against the allowance when management believes this amount is uncollectible.

Accrued interest receivables are presented separate from the amortized cost basis of mortgage loans. An allowance for credit losses is generally not estimated on an accrued interest receivable, rather when a loan is placed in nonaccrual status the associated accrued interest receivable balance is written off with a corresponding reduction to net investment income. For mortgage loans that are granted payment deferrals due to the COVID-19 pandemic, interest continues to be accrued during the deferral period if the loan was less than 30 days past due at December 31, 2019 and performing at the onset of the pandemic. Accrued interest on COVID-19 pandemic impacted loans was not significant at June 30, 2020. The accrued interest receivable on mortgage loans is included in accrued investment income and totaled $86 million at June 30, 2020.

The allowance for credit losses is estimated using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and a reasonable and supportable forecast. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for estimating expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics and environmental conditions. A reasonable and supportable forecast period of two-years is used with an input reversion period of one-year.

Mortgage loans are evaluated in each of the three portfolio segments to determine the allowance for credit losses. The loan-level loss rates are determined using individual loan terms and characteristics, risk pools/internal ratings, national economic forecasts, prepayment speeds, and estimated default and loss severity. The resulting loss rates are applied to the mortgage loan’s amortized cost to generate an allowance for credit losses. In certain situations, the allowance for credit losses is measured as the difference between the loan’s amortized cost and liquidation value of the collateral. These situations include collateral dependent loans, expected troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”), foreclosure probable loans, and loans with dissimilar risk characteristics.

Mortgage loans are also evaluated to determine if they qualify as PCD assets. To determine if the credit deterioration experienced since origination is more than insignificant, the extent of credit deterioration is evaluated. All re-performing/modified loan (“RPL”) pools purchased after December 31, 2019 are determined to have been acquired with evidence of more than insignificant credit deterioration since origination and are classified as PCD assets. RPLs are pools of residential mortgage loans acquired at discounts which have both credit and non-credit components. For PCD mortgage loans, the allowance for credit losses is determined using a similar methodology described above, except the loss-rate is determined at the pool level instead of the individual loan level. The initial allowance for credit losses, determined on a collective basis, is then allocated to the individual loans. The initial amortized cost of the loan is grossed-up to reflect the sum of the loan’s purchase price and allowance for credit losses. The difference between the grossed-up amortized cost basis and the par value of the loan is a noncredit discount, which is accreted into net investment income over the remaining life of the loan. Any subsequent PCD mortgage loan allowance for credit losses is evaluated in a manner similar to the process described above for each of the three portfolio segments.Delinquency is defined consistent with industry practice, when mortgage loans are past due as follows: commercial and residential mortgage loans — 60 days and agricultural mortgage loans — 90 days. To the extent a payment deferral is agreed to with a borrower, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the past due status of the impacted loans is locked-in as of March 1, 2020, which reflects the date on which the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect the borrower’s ability to make payments, as provided in the CARES Act.Mortgage loans are placed in a nonaccrual status if there are concerns regarding collectability of future payments or the loan is past due, unless the past due loan is well collateralized and in the process of foreclosure. To the extent a payment deferral is agreed to with a borrower, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacted loans generally will not be reported as in a nonaccrual status during the period of deferral. A COVID-19 pandemic modified loan is only reported as a nonaccrual asset in the event a borrower declares bankruptcy, the borrower experiences significant credit deterioration such that the Company does not expect to collect all principal and interest due, or the loan was 90 days past due at the onset of the pandemic.Under certain circumstances, modifications are granted to non-performing mortgage loans. Each modification is evaluated to determine if a TDR has occurred. A modification is a TDR when the borrower is in financial difficulty and the creditor makes concessions. Generally, the types of concessions may include reducing the amount of debt owed, reducing the contractual interest rate, extending the maturity date at an interest rate lower than current market interest rates and/or reducing accrued interest.Short-term modifications made on a good faith basis to borrowers who were not more than 30 days past due at December 31, 2019 and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are not considered TDRs.

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Types of Derivative Instruments and Derivative Strategies

The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to minimize its exposure to various market risks. Commonly used derivative instruments include, but are not necessarily limited to:

•Interest rate derivatives: swaps, caps, swaptions and forwards;

•Foreign currency exchange rate derivatives: forwards and swaps;

•Equity derivatives: options, total return swaps and variance swaps; and

•Credit derivatives: single and index reference credit default swaps.

Counterparty Credit RiskGenerally, the credit exposure is the fair value at the reporting date less any collateral received from the counterparty.