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General
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2017
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”). These condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).
The condensed consolidated financial statements and notes as of March 31, 2017 and for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 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, 2016. 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.
Reinsurance transaction
Effective January 1, 2017, ALIC entered into a coinsurance reinsurance agreement with AAC to assume certain term life insurance policies. In connection with the agreement, the Company recorded cash of $20 million, deferred policy acquisition costs (“DAC”) of $45 million, other assets of $11 million, reserve for life-contingent contract benefits of $24 million and deferred tax liabilities of $18 million. The $34 million gain on the transaction was recorded as an increase to additional capital paid-in since the transaction was between entities under common control.
Redemption of surplus notes and notes due from related party
In January 2017, all $325 million of surplus notes due to Kennett Capital, Inc. (“Kennett”), an unconsolidated affiliate of ALIC, were redeemed. In connection with the redemption, the related $325 million of notes due from Kennett (recorded as other investments) were terminated. These were recorded as non-cash transactions.
External financing agreement
In January 2017, ALIC Reinsurance Company (“ALIC Re”), a wholly owned subsidiary of ALIC, entered into a master transaction agreement with Bueller Financing LLC (“Bueller”), an external financing provider. In accordance with the agreement, Bueller issued a variable funding puttable note (“credit-linked note”) that will be held in a trust. The credit-linked note can be put back to Bueller for cash in the event certain ALIC Re statutory reserves and capital are depleted. The balance of the credit-linked note will vary based on the statutory reserve balance with a maximum value of $1.75 billion. The agreement has no impact on the GAAP-basis Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Position.
Dividends
In first quarter 2017, the Company paid cash dividends of $300 million to AIC.
Premiums and contract charges
The following table summarizes premiums and contract charges by product.
($ in millions)
Three months ended March 31,
 
2017
 
2016
Premiums
 

 
 

Traditional life insurance
$
143

 
$
126

Accident and health insurance
26

 
23

Total premiums
169

 
149

 
 
 
 
Contract charges
 

 
 

Interest-sensitive life insurance
176

 
179

Fixed annuities
3

 
3

Total contract charges
179

 
182

Total premiums and contract charges
$
348

 
$
331


Adopted accounting standard
Transition to Equity Method Accounting
Effective January 1, 2017, the Company adopted new FASB 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 applied prospectively to investments that qualify for EMA after application of the cost method of accounting. Accordingly, the adoption of this guidance had no 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 date of adoption. The new guidance related to equity investments without readily determinable fair values is applied prospectively as of the date of adoption. The most significant anticipated impacts, using values as of March 31, 2017, relate to the change in accounting for equity securities where $147 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 $81 million, pre-tax, with the adjustment recognized in retained income.
Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments
In June 2016, the FASB issued guidance which revises the credit loss recognition criteria for certain financial assets measured at amortized cost. The new guidance replaces the existing incurred loss recognition model with an expected loss recognition model. The objective of the expected credit loss model is for the reporting entity to recognize its estimate of expected credit losses for affected financial assets in a valuation allowance deducted from the amortized cost basis of the related financial assets that results in presenting the net carrying value of the financial assets at the amount expected to be collected. The reporting entity must consider all available relevant information when estimating expected credit losses, including details about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts over the life of an asset. Financial assets may be evaluated individually or on a pooled basis when they share similar risk characteristics. The measurement of credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities measured at fair value is not affected except that credit losses recognized are limited to the amount by which fair value is below amortized cost and the carrying value adjustment is recognized through a valuation allowance and not as a direct write-down. The guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and for most affected instruments must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach, with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to beginning retained income. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption.