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General
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016
General  
General
General
Basis of presentation
The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Allstate Life Insurance Company (“ALIC”) and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively referred to as the “Company”). ALIC is wholly owned by Allstate Insurance Company (“AIC”), which is wholly owned by Allstate Insurance Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Allstate Corporation (the “Corporation”).
The condensed consolidated financial statements and notes as of March 31, 2016 and for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2016 and 2015 are unaudited. The condensed consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring accruals) which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. These condensed consolidated financial statements and notes should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. The results of operations for the interim periods should not be considered indicative of results to be expected for the full year. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Premiums and contract charges
The following table summarizes premiums and contract charges by product.
($ in millions)
Three months ended March 31,
 
2016
 
2015
Premiums
 

 
 

Traditional life insurance
$
126

 
$
129

Accident and health insurance
23

 
21

Total premiums
149

 
150

 
 
 
 
Contract charges
 

 
 

Interest-sensitive life insurance
179

 
192

Fixed annuities
3

 
3

Total contract charges
182

 
195

Total premiums and contract charges
$
331

 
$
345


Adopted accounting standard
Amendments to the Consolidation Analysis
In February 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance affecting the consolidation evaluation for limited partnerships and similar entities, fees paid to a decision maker or service provider, and variable interests in a variable interest entity held by related parties of the reporting enterprise. The adoption of this guidance as of January 1, 2016 did not have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations or financial position. 
Pending accounting standards
Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities
In January 2016, the FASB issued guidance requiring equity investments, including equity securities and limited partnership interests, that are not accounted for under the equity method of accounting or result in consolidation to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income. Equity investments without readily determinable fair values may be measured at cost minus impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. When a qualitative assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values indicates that impairment exists, the carrying value is required to be adjusted to fair value, if lower. The guidance clarifies that an entity should evaluate the realizability of a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale fixed income securities in combination with the entity’s other deferred tax assets. The guidance also changes certain disclosure requirements. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and is to be applied through a cumulative-effect adjustment to beginning retained income as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The new guidance related to equity investments without readily determinable fair values is to be applied prospectively as of the date of adoption. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption. The most significant impacts, using values as of March 31, 2016, are expected to be the change in accounting for equity securities where $14 million of pre-tax unrealized net capital gains would be reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained income and cost method limited partnership interests (excluding limited partnership interests accounted for on a cost recovery basis) where the carrying value would increase by approximately $100 million, pre-tax, with the adjustment recorded in retained income.
Transition to Equity Method Accounting
In March 2016, the FASB issued guidance amending the accounting requirements for transitioning to the equity method of accounting (“EMA”), including a transition from the cost method. The guidance requires the cost of acquiring an additional interest in an investee to be added to the existing carrying value to establish the initial basis of the EMA investment. Under the new guidance, no retroactive adjustment is required when an investment initially qualifies for EMA treatment. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and is to be applied prospectively. The guidance will principally affect the future accounting for investments that qualify for EMA after application of the cost method of accounting. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption, which is not expected to be material to the Company’s results of operations or financial position.