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Guarantees and Contingent Liabilities
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Guarantees [Abstract]  
Guarantees and Contingent Liabilities
Guarantees and Contingent Liabilities
Guaranty funds
Under state insurance guaranty fund laws, insurers doing business in a state can be assessed, up to prescribed limits, for certain obligations of insolvent insurance companies to policyholders and claimants.  Amounts assessed to each company are typically related to its proportion of business written in each state.  The Company’s policy is to accrue assessments when the entity for which the insolvency relates has met its state of domicile’s statutory definition of insolvency and the amount of the loss is reasonably estimable.  In most states, the definition is met with a declaration of financial insolvency by a court of competent jurisdiction.  In certain states there must also be a final order of liquidation.  As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the liability balance included in other liabilities and accrued expenses was $10 million and $27 million, respectively.  The related premium tax offsets included in other assets were $15 million and $31 million as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
Guarantees
The Company owns certain investments that obligate the Company to exchange credit risk or to forfeit principal due, depending on the nature or occurrence of specified credit events for the reference entities.  In the event all such specified credit events were to occur, the Company’s maximum amount at risk on these investments, as measured by the amount of the aggregate initial investment, was $4 million as of December 31, 2014.  The obligations associated with these investments expire at various dates on or before March 11, 2018.
Related to the sale of LBL on April 1, 2014, the Company has agreed to indemnify Resolution Life Holdings, Inc. related to representations, warranties and covenants of the Company, as well as for certain liabilities specifically excluded from the transaction, subject to certain contractual limitations as to the Company’s maximum obligation. Indemnifications related to representations and warranties made by the Company will expire by March 31, 2015, except for those pertaining to certain tax items. Management does not believe these indemnification provisions will have a material effect on results of operations, cash flows or financial position of the Company.
Related to the disposal through reinsurance of substantially all of the Company’s variable annuity business to Prudential in 2006, the Company and the Corporation have agreed to indemnify Prudential for certain pre-closing contingent liabilities (including extra-contractual liabilities of the Company and liabilities specifically excluded from the transaction) that the Company has agreed to retain.  In addition, the Company and the Corporation will each indemnify Prudential for certain post-closing liabilities that may arise from the acts of the Company and its agents, including certain liabilities arising from the Company’s provision of transition services.  The reinsurance agreements contain no limitations or indemnifications with regard to insurance risk transfer, and transferred all of the future risks and responsibilities for performance on the underlying variable annuity contracts to Prudential, including those related to benefit guarantees.  Management does not believe this agreement will have a material effect on results of operations, cash flows or financial position of the Company.
In the normal course of business, the Company provides standard indemnifications to contractual counterparties in connection with numerous transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures.  The types of indemnifications typically provided include indemnifications for breaches of representations and warranties, taxes and certain other liabilities, such as third party lawsuits.  The indemnification clauses are often standard contractual terms and are entered into in the normal course of business based on an assessment that the risk of loss would be remote.  The terms of the indemnifications vary in duration and nature.  In many cases, the maximum obligation is not explicitly stated and the contingencies triggering the obligation to indemnify have not occurred and are not expected to occur.  Consequently, the maximum amount of the obligation under such indemnifications is not determinable.  Historically, the Company has not made any material payments pursuant to these obligations.
The aggregate liability balance related to all guarantees was not material as of December 31, 2014.
Regulation and Compliance
The Company is subject to extensive laws, regulations and regulatory actions.  From time to time, regulatory authorities or legislative bodies seek to impose additional regulations regarding agent and broker compensation, regulate the nature of and amount of investments, impose fines and penalties for unintended errors or mistakes, and otherwise expand overall regulation of insurance products and the insurance industry.  In addition, the Company is subject to laws and regulations administered and enforced by federal agencies and other organizations, including but not limited to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulation Authority, and the U.S. Department of Justice. The Company has established procedures and policies to facilitate compliance with laws and regulations, to foster prudent business operations, and to support financial reporting.  The Company routinely reviews its practices to validate compliance with laws and regulations and with internal procedures and policies.  As a result of these reviews, from time to time the Company may decide to modify some of its procedures and policies.  Such modifications, and the reviews that led to them, may be accompanied by payments being made and costs being incurred.  The ultimate changes and eventual effects of these actions on the Company’s business, if any, are uncertain.
The Company is currently being examined by certain states for compliance with unclaimed property laws.  It is possible that this examination may result in additional payments of abandoned funds to states and to changes in the Company’s practices and procedures for the identification of escheatable funds, which could impact benefit payments and reserves, among other consequences; however, it is not likely to have a material effect on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.