Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Business, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Business

“Brighthouse Financial” and the “Company” refer to Brighthouse Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Brighthouse Financial, Inc. (“BHF”) is a holding company formed in 2016 to own the legal entities that historically operated a substantial portion of MetLife, Inc.’s former retail segment until becoming a separate, publicly-traded company in August 2017. Brighthouse Financial is one of the largest providers of annuity and life insurance products in the United States through multiple independent distribution channels and marketing arrangements with a diverse network of distribution partners. The Company is organized into three segments: Annuities; Life; and Run-off. In addition, the Company reports certain of its results of operations in Corporate & Other.

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

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.

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.

CARES Act

In response to the worldwide pandemic sparked by the novel coronavirus (the “COVID-19 pandemic”), on March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). The CARES Act contains numerous provisions intended to provide swift aid, including through tax relief, to businesses and individuals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company does not believe that the CARES Act will have a material impact to its consolidated financial statements at this time. The Company will continue to closely monitor developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the CARES Act.