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Investments
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Investments [Abstract]  
Investments Investments
Portfolio composition
The composition of the investment portfolio is presented as follows:
As of December 31,
($ in millions)20202019
Fixed income securities, at fair value$23,907 $21,725 
Mortgage loans, net3,359 3,988 
Equity securities, at fair value1,536 1,469 
Limited partnership interests3,065 3,250 
Short-term investments, at fair value974 1,191 
Policy loans582 557 
Other, net1,375 1,427 
Total$34,798 $33,607 
Fair values
The amortized cost, gross unrealized gains and losses and fair value for fixed income securities are as follows:
($ in millions)Amortized cost, netGross unrealizedFair value
 GainsLosses
December 31, 2020    
U.S. government and agencies$1,060 $45 $— $1,105 
Municipal1,650 357 — 2,007 
Corporate18,287 2,009 (40)20,256 
Foreign government91 5 — 96 
ABS420 6 (2)424 
MBS14 5 — 19 
Total fixed income securities$21,522 $2,427 $(42)$23,907 
December 31, 2019    
U.S. government and agencies$848 $34 $— $882 
Municipal1,483 279 (7)1,755 
Corporate17,301 1,170 (30)18,441 
Foreign government142 7 — 149 
ABS316 4 (3)317 
MBS127 55 (1)181 
Total fixed income securities$20,217 $1,549 $(41)$21,725 
 
Scheduled maturities
The scheduled maturities for fixed income securities are as follows:
($ in millions)As of December 31, 2020
Amortized
cost, net		Fair
value
Due in one year or less$1,625 $1,651 
Due after one year through five years6,974 7,423 
Due after five years through ten years8,255 9,197 
Due after ten years4,234 5,193 
 21,088 23,464 
ABS and MBS434 443 
Total$21,522 $23,907 
Actual maturities may differ from those scheduled as a result of calls and make-whole payments by the issuers. ABS and MBS are shown separately because of potential prepayment of principal prior to contractual maturity dates.
Net investment income
Net investment income for the years ended December 31 is as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Fixed income securities$894 $963 $991 
Mortgage loans184 190 188 
Equity securities19 29 39 
Limited partnership interests99 175 327 
Short-term investments6 31 21 
Policy loans31 34 31 
Other90 93 91 
Investment income, before expense1,323 1,515 1,688 
Investment expense(81)(104)(103)
Net investment income$1,242 $1,411 $1,585 
Realized capital gains and losses
Realized capital gains (losses) by asset type for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Fixed income securities$54 $25 $(40)
Mortgage loans(45)— 2 
Equity securities225 276 (124)
Limited partnership interests 38 43 (22)
Derivatives5 11 10 
Other(11)(14)(1)
Realized capital gains (losses)$266 $341 $(175)
Realized capital gains (losses) by transaction type for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Sales$42 $54 $(27)
Credit losses (1)
(47)(21)(9)
Valuation of equity investments (2)
266 297 (146)
Valuation and settlements of derivative instruments5 11 7 
Realized capital gains (losses)$266 $341 $(175)
_______________
(1)Due to the adoption of the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments accounting standard, prior period other-than-temporary impairment write-downs are now presented as credit losses.
(2)Includes valuation of equity securities and certain limited partnership interests where the underlying assets are predominately public equity securities.
Gross realized gains (losses) on sales of fixed income securities for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Gross realized gains$101 $65 $34 
Gross realized losses(44)(35)(66)
The following table presents the net pre-tax appreciation (decline) recognized in net income of equity securities and limited partnership interests carried at fair value that are still held as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
For the years ended December 31,
($ in millions)20202019
Equity securities$229 $216 
Limited partnership interests carried at fair value100 57 
Total
$329 $273 
Credit losses recognized in net income (1) for the years ended December 31 are as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Fixed income securities:
Corporate$— $(2)$(1)
ABS(1)(1)(1)
MBS(2)(2)(6)
Total fixed income securities(3)(5)(8)
Mortgage loans(37)— — 
Limited partnership interests(4)(2)— 
Other investments
  Bank loans(4)(13)— 
  Agent loans — (1)(1)
Total credit losses by asset type$(48)$(21)$(9)
Liabilities
Commitments to fund commercial mortgage loans, bank loans and agent loans1 — — 
Total $(47)$(21)$(9)
_______________
(1)Due to the adoption of the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments accounting standard, realized capital losses previously reported as other-than-temporary impairment write-downs are now presented as credit losses.
Unrealized net capital gains and losses
Unrealized net capital gains and losses included in AOCI are as follows:
($ in millions)Fair valueGross unrealizedUnrealized net gains (losses)
December 31, 2020GainsLosses
Fixed income securities$23,907 $2,427 $(42)$2,385 
Short-term investments
974 — — — 
EMA limited partnerships (1)
   (2)
Unrealized net capital gains and losses, pre-tax   2,383 
Amounts recognized for:    
Insurance reserves (2)
   (496)
DAC and DSI (3)
   (363)
Amounts recognized   (859)
Deferred income taxes   (320)
Unrealized net capital gains and losses, after-tax   $1,204 
December 31, 2019
Fixed income securities$21,725 $1,549 $(41)$1,508 
Short-term investments1,191 — — — 
EMA limited partnerships   (2)
Unrealized net capital gains and losses, pre-tax   1,506 
Amounts recognized for:    
Insurance reserves   (126)
DAC and DSI   (213)
Amounts recognized   (339)
Deferred income taxes   (245)
Unrealized net capital gains and losses, after-tax   $922 
____________
(1)Unrealized net capital gains and losses for limited partnership interests represent the Company’s share of EMA limited partnerships’ OCI. Fair value and gross unrealized gains and losses are not applicable.
(2)The insurance reserves adjustment represents the amount by which the reserve balance would increase if the net unrealized gains in the applicable product portfolios were realized and reinvested at lower interest rates, resulting in a premium deficiency. This adjustment primarily relates to structured settlement annuities with life contingencies (a type of immediate fixed annuity).
(3)The DAC and DSI adjustment balance represents the amount by which the amortization of DAC and DSI would increase or decrease if the unrealized gains or losses in the respective product portfolios were realized.
Change in unrealized net capital gains and losses
The change in unrealized net capital gains and losses for the years ended December 31 is as follows:
($ in millions)202020192018
Fixed income securities$877 $1,165 $(914)
Short-term investments— — — 
Derivative instruments— — (2)
EMA limited partnerships— (2)(1)
Total877 1,163 (917)
Amounts recognized for:   
Insurance reserves(370)(126)315 
DAC and DSI(150)(178)154 
Amounts recognized(520)(304)469 
Deferred income taxes(75)(180)94 
Increase (decrease) in unrealized net capital gains and losses, after-tax$282 $679 $(354)
Mortgage loans
The Company’s mortgage loans are commercial mortgage loans collateralized by a variety of commercial real estate property types located across the United States and totaled $3.36 billion and $3.99 billion, net of credit loss allowance, as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Substantially all of the commercial mortgage loans are non-recourse to the borrower.
The following table shows the principal geographic distribution of commercial real estate represented in the Company’s mortgage loan portfolio. No other state represented more than 5% of the portfolio as of December 31.
(% of mortgage loan portfolio carrying value)20202019
Texas20.1 %16.8 %
California14.3 14.1 
Illinois6.9 8.0 
Florida6.3 6.7 
North Carolina5.6 4.9 
New Jersey3.9 6.0 
The types of properties collateralizing the mortgage loans as of December 31 are as follows:
(% of mortgage loan portfolio carrying value)20202019
Apartment complex34.1 %35.6 %
Office buildings23.3 22.4 
Retail15.8 14.3 
Warehouse14.5 16.2 
Other12.3 11.5 
Total100.0 %100.0 %
The contractual maturities of the mortgage loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020 are as follows:
($ in millions)Number
of loans		Amortized cost, netPercent
202128 $254 7.6 %
202223 291 8.7 
202341 485 14.4 
202425 510 15.2 
Thereafter115 1,819 54.1 
Total232 $3,359 100.0 %
Limited partnerships
Investments in limited partnership interests include interests in private equity funds, real estate funds and other funds. Principal factors influencing carrying value appreciation or decline include operating performance, comparable public company earnings multiples, capitalization rates and the economic environment. For equity method limited partnerships, the Company recognizes an impairment loss when evidence demonstrates that the loss is other than temporary. Evidence of a loss in value that is other than temporary may include the absence of an ability to recover the carrying amount of the investment or the inability of the investee to sustain a level of earnings that would justify the carrying amount of the investment. Changes in fair value limited partnerships are recorded through net investment income and therefore are not tested for impairment.
The carrying value for limited partnership interest as of December 31 is as follows:
20202019
($ in millions)EMAFair ValueTotalEMAFair Value Total
Private equity$1,768 $721 $2,489 $2,029 $723 $2,752 
Real estate334 42 376 319 50 369 
Other (1)
200 — 200 129 — 129 
Total$2,302 $763 $3,065 $2,477 $773 $3,250 
____________
(1)Other consists of certain limited partnership interests where the underlying assets are predominately public equity and debt securities.
Municipal bonds
The Company maintains a diversified portfolio of municipal bonds which totaled $2.01 billion and $1.76 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The municipal bond portfolio includes general obligations of state and local issuers and revenue bonds (including pre-refunded bonds, which are bonds for which an irrevocable trust has been established to fund the remaining payments of principal and interest). The following table shows the principal geographic distribution of municipal bond issuers represented in the Company’s portfolio as of December 31. No other state represents more than 5% of the portfolio.
(% of municipal bond portfolio carrying value)20202019
Texas16.8 %17.8 %
California16.8 15.0 
Oregon11.3 12.6 
New Jersey7.4 6.7 
Illinois6.2 6.3 
New York5.3 7.0 
Short-term investments
Short-term investments, including money market funds, commercial paper, U.S. Treasury bills and other short-term investments, are carried at fair value. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the fair value of short-term investments totaled $974 million and $1.19 billion, respectively.
Policy loans
Policy loans are carried at unpaid principal balances. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the carrying value of policy loans totaled $582 million and $557 million, respectively.
Other investments
Other investments primarily consist of agent loans, real estate, bank loans and derivatives. Agent loans are loans issued to exclusive Allstate agents and are carried at amortized cost, net. Real estate is carried at cost less accumulated depreciation. Bank loans are primarily senior secured corporate loans and are carried at amortized cost, net. Derivatives are carried at fair value. The following table summarizes other investments by asset type.
As of December 31,
($ in millions)20202019
Agent loans, net$631 $666 
Real estate315 292 
Bank loans, net245 344 
Derivatives and other184 125 
Total$1,375 $1,427 
Concentration of credit risk
As of December 31, 2020, the Company is not exposed to any credit concentration risk of a single issuer and its affiliates greater than 10% of the Company’s shareholder’s equity, other than the U.S. government and its agencies.
Securities loaned
The Company’s business activities include securities lending programs with third parties, mostly large banks. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, fixed income and equity securities with a carrying value of $322 million and $506 million, respectively, were on loan under these agreements. Interest income on collateral, net of fees, was $1 million in each of 2020, 2019 and 2018.
Other investment information
Included in fixed income securities are below investment grade assets totaling $2.99 billion and $2.83 billion as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
As of December 31, 2020, fixed income securities and short-term investments with a carrying value of $21 million were on deposit with regulatory authorities as required by law.
As of December 31, 2020, the carrying value of fixed income securities and other investments that were non-income producing was $38 million.
Portfolio monitoring and credit losses
Fixed income securities The Company has a comprehensive portfolio monitoring process to identify and evaluate each fixed income security that may require a credit loss allowance.
For each fixed income security in an unrealized loss position, the Company assesses whether management with the appropriate authority has made the decision to sell or whether it is more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the security before recovery of the amortized cost basis for reasons such as liquidity, contractual or regulatory purposes. If a security meets either of these criteria, any existing credit loss allowance would be written-off against the amortized cost basis of the asset along with any remaining unrealized losses, with incremental losses recorded in earnings.
If the Company has not made the decision to sell the fixed income security and it is not more likely than not the Company will be required to sell the fixed income security before recovery of its amortized cost basis, the Company evaluates whether it expects to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the security. The Company calculates the estimated recovery value based on the best estimate of future cash flows considering past events, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The estimated future cash flows are discounted at the security’s current effective rate and is compared to the amortized cost of the security.
The determination of cash flow estimates is inherently subjective, and methodologies may vary depending on facts and circumstances specific to the security. All reasonably available information relevant to the collectability of the security is considered when developing the estimate of cash flows expected to be collected. That information generally includes, but is not limited to, the remaining payment terms of the security, prepayment speeds, the financial condition and future earnings potential of the issue or issuer, expected defaults, expected recoveries, the value of underlying collateral, origination vintage year, geographic concentration of underlying collateral, available reserves or escrows, current subordination levels, third-party guarantees and other credit enhancements. Other information, such as industry analyst reports and forecasts, credit ratings, financial condition of the bond insurer for insured fixed income securities, and other market data relevant to the realizability of contractual cash flows, may also be considered. The estimated fair value of collateral will be used to estimate recovery value if the Company determines that the security is dependent on the liquidation of collateral for ultimate settlement.
If the Company does not expect to receive cash flows sufficient to recover the entire amortized cost basis of the fixed income security, a credit loss allowance is recorded in earnings for the shortfall in expected cash flows; however, the amortized cost, net of the credit loss allowance, may not be lower than the fair value of the security. The portion of the unrealized loss related to factors other than credit remains classified in AOCI. If the Company determines that the fixed income security does not have sufficient cash flow or other information to estimate a recovery value for the security, the Company may conclude that the entire decline in fair value is deemed to be credit related and the loss is recorded in earnings.
When a security is sold or otherwise disposed or when the security is deemed uncollectible and written off, the Company removes amounts previously recognized in the credit loss allowance. Recoveries after write-offs are recognized when received. Accrued interest excluded from the amortized cost of fixed income securities totaled $198 million as of December 31, 2020 and is reported within the accrued investment income line of the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. The Company monitors accrued interest and writes off amounts when they are not expected to be received.
The Company’s portfolio monitoring process includes a quarterly review of all securities to identify instances where the fair value of a security compared to its amortized cost is below internally established thresholds. The process also includes the monitoring of other credit loss indicators such as ratings, ratings downgrades and payment defaults. The securities identified, in addition to other securities for which the Company may have a concern, are evaluated for potential credit losses using all reasonably available information relevant to the collectability or recovery of the security. Inherent in the Company’s evaluation of credit losses for these securities are assumptions and estimates about the financial condition and future earnings potential of the issue or issuer. Some of the factors that may be considered in evaluating whether a decline in fair value requires a credit loss allowance are: 1) the financial condition, near-term and long-term prospects of the issue or issuer, including relevant industry specific market conditions and trends, geographic location and implications of rating agency actions and offering prices; 2) the specific reasons that a security is in an unrealized loss position, including overall market conditions which could affect liquidity; and 3) the extent to which the fair value has been less than amortized cost.
Rollforward of credit loss allowance for fixed income securities for the year ended December 31, 2020 is as follows:
($ in millions)2020
Beginning balance$— 
Credit losses on securities for which credit losses not previously reported(3)
Reduction of allowance related to sales2 
Write-offs— 
Ending balance (1)
$(1)
____________
(1)Allowance for fixed income securities as of December 31, 2020 comprised $1 million of ABS.
The following table summarizes the gross unrealized losses and fair value of securities by the length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.
($ in millions)Less than 12 months12 months or moreTotal unrealized losses
 Number
of issues		Fair
value		Unrealized lossesNumber
of issues		Fair
value		Unrealized losses
 
December 31, 2020       
Fixed income securities       
U.S. government and agencies
10 $17 $— — $— $— $— 
Municipal
7 31 — — — — — 
Corporate
114 558 (19)25 153 (21)(40)
ABS
5 2 — 4 5 (2)(2)
MBS
3 — — 10 — — — 
Total fixed income securities139 $608 $(19)39 $158 $(23)$(42)
Investment grade fixed income securities69 $388 $(5)19 $73 $(17)$(22)
Below investment grade fixed income securities70 220 (14)20 85 (6)(20)
Total fixed income securities139 $608 $(19)39 $158 $(23)$(42)
December 31, 2019       
Fixed income securities       
U.S. government and agencies
6 $74 $— — $— $— $— 
Municipal
4 22 (5)1 14 (2)(7)
Corporate
92 504 (8)43 237 (22)(30)
ABS
22 61 (1)5 19 (2)(3)
MBS
8 1 — 22 5 (1)(1)
Total fixed income securities132 $662 $(14)71 $275 $(27)$(41)
Investment grade fixed income securities85 $524 $(3)39 $152 $(17)$(20)
Below investment grade fixed income securities47 138 (11)32 123 (10)(21)
Total fixed income securities132 $662 $(14)71 $275 $(27)$(41)
The following table summarizes gross unrealized losses by unrealized loss position and credit quality as of December 31, 2020.
($ in millions)Investment
grade		Below investment gradeTotal
Fixed income securities with unrealized loss position less than 20% of amortized cost, net (1) (2)
$(7)$(12)$(19)
Fixed income securities with unrealized loss position greater than or equal to 20% of amortized cost, net (3) (4)
(15)(8)(23)
Total unrealized losses$(22)$(20)$(42)
_______________
(1)Below investment grade fixed income securities include $7 million that have been in an unrealized loss position for less than twelve months.
(2)Related to securities with an unrealized loss position less than 20% of amortized cost, net, the degree of which suggests that these securities do not pose a high risk of having credit losses.
(3)No below investment grade fixed income securities have been in an unrealized loss position for a period of twelve or more consecutive months.
(4)Evaluated based on factors such as discounted cash flows and the financial condition and near-term and long-term prospects of the issue or issuer and were determined to have adequate resources to fulfill contractual obligations.
Investment grade is defined as a security having a rating of Aaa, Aa, A or Baa from Moody’s, a rating of AAA, AA, A or BBB from S&P Global Ratings (“S&P”), a comparable rating from another nationally recognized rating agency, or a comparable internal rating if an externally provided rating is not available. Market prices for certain securities may have credit spreads which imply higher or lower credit quality than the current third-party rating. Unrealized losses on investment grade securities are principally related to an increase in market yields which may include increased risk-free interest rates or wider credit spreads since the time of initial purchase. The unrealized losses are expected to reverse as the securities approach maturity.
ABS and MBS in an unrealized loss position were evaluated based on actual and projected collateral losses relative to the securities’ positions in the respective securitization trusts, security specific expectations of cash flows, and credit ratings. This evaluation also takes into consideration credit enhancement, measured in terms of (i) subordination from other classes of securities in the trust that are contractually obligated to absorb losses before the class of security the Company owns, and (ii) the expected impact of other structural features embedded in the securitization trust beneficial to the class of securities the Company owns, such as overcollateralization and excess spread. Municipal bonds in an unrealized loss position were evaluated based on the underlying credit quality of the primary obligor, obligation type and quality of the underlying assets.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company has not made the decision to sell and it is not more likely than not the Company will be required to sell fixed income securities with unrealized losses before recovery of the amortized cost basis.
Loans The Company establishes a credit loss allowance for mortgage loans, agent loans and bank loans when they are originated or purchased, and for unfunded commitments unless they are unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The Company uses a probability of default and loss given default model for mortgage loans and bank loans to estimate current expected credit losses that considers all relevant information available including past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts over the life of an asset. The Company also considers such factors as historical losses, expected prepayments and various economic factors. For mortgage loans the Company considers origination vintage year and property level information such as debt service coverage, property type, property location and collateral value. For bank loans the Company considers the credit rating of the borrower, credit spreads and type of loan. After the reasonable and supportable forecast period, the Company’s model reverts to historical loss trends. Given the less complex and homogenous nature of agent loans, the Company estimates current expected credit losses using historical loss experience over the estimated life of the loans, adjusted for current conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts and expected prepayments.
Loans are evaluated on a pooled basis when they share similar risk characteristics. The Company monitors loans through a quarterly credit monitoring process to determine when they no longer share similar risk characteristics and are to be evaluated individually when estimating credit losses.
Loans are written off against their corresponding allowances when there is no reasonable expectation of recovery. If a loan recovers after a write-off, the estimate of expected credit losses includes the expected recovery.
Accrual of income is suspended for loans that are in default or when full and timely collection of principal and interest payments is not probable. Accrued income receivable is monitored for recoverability and when not expected to be collected is written off through net investment income. Cash receipts on loans on non-accrual status are generally recorded as a reduction of amortized cost.
Accrued interest is excluded from the amortized cost of loans and is reported within the accrued investment income line of the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. As of December 31, 2020, accrued interest totaled $13 million, $2 million and $1 million for mortgage loans, agent loans and bank loans, respectively.
Mortgage loans When it is determined a mortgage loan shall be evaluated individually, the Company uses various methods to estimate credit losses on individual loans such as using collateral value less estimated costs to sell where applicable, including when foreclosure is probable or when repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral and the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. When collateral value is used, the mortgage loans may not have a credit loss allowance when the fair value of the collateral exceeds the loan’s amortized cost. An alternative approach may be utilized to estimate credit losses using the present value of the loan’s expected future repayment cash flows discounted at the loan’s current effective interest rate.
Individual loan credit loss allowances are adjusted for subsequent changes in the fair value of the collateral less costs to sell, when applicable, or present value of the loan’s expected future repayment cash flows.
Debt service coverage ratio is considered a key credit quality indicator when mortgage loan credit loss allowances are estimated. Debt service coverage ratio represents the amount of estimated cash flow from the property available to the borrower to meet principal and interest payment obligations. Debt service coverage ratio estimates are updated annually or more frequently if conditions are warranted based on the Company’s credit monitoring process.
The following table reflects mortgage loans amortized cost by debt service coverage ratio distribution and year of origination as of December 31.
($ in millions)20202019
2015 and prior2016201720182019CurrentTotalTotal
Below 1.0$15 $— $— $— $— $— $15 $40 
1.0 - 1.25130 27 32 57 33 14 293 161 
1.26 - 1.50365 41 134 159 201 6 906 1,066 
Above 1.50963 350 240 279 327 45 2,204 2,724 
Amortized cost before allowance$1,473 $418 $406 $495 $561 $65 $3,418 $3,991 
Allowance (1)
(59)(3)
Amortized cost, net$3,359 $3,988 
____________
(1)Due to the adoption of the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments accounting standard, prior valuation allowance is now presented as an allowance for expected credit losses.
Mortgage loans with a debt service coverage ratio below 1.0 that are not considered impaired primarily relate to situations where the borrower has the financial capacity to fund the revenue shortfalls from the properties for the foreseeable term, the decrease in cash flows from the properties is considered temporary, or there are other risk mitigating factors such as additional collateral, escrow balances or borrower guarantees. Payments on all mortgage loans were current as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company sold $217 million of mortgage loans, net of a $15 million credit loss allowance, resulting in a net realized capital loss of $4 million.
The rollforward of credit loss allowance for mortgage loans for the years ended December 31 is as follows:
($ in millions)2020
Beginning balance$(3)
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle(33)
Net increases related to credit losses
(37)
Reduction of allowance related to sales15 
Loans transferred due to reinsurance agreement with AAC(1)
Write-offs— 
Ending balance$(59)
Agent loans The Company monitors agent loans to determine when they should be removed from the pool and assessed for credit losses individually by using internal credit risk grades that classify the loans into risk categories. The categorization is based on relevant information about the ability of borrowers to service their debt, such as historical payment experience, current business trends, cash flow coverage and collateral quality. Internal credit risk grades are updated annually or more frequently if conditions are warranted based on the Company’s credit monitoring process.
As of December 31, 2020, 85% of agent loans balance represents the top three highest credit quality categories. The allowance for agent loans totaled $5 million as of December 31, 2020 and did not change from January 1, 2020.
Bank loans When it is determined a bank loan shall be evaluated individually, the Company uses various methods to estimate credit losses on individual loans such as the present value of the loan’s expected future repayment cash flows discounted at the loan’s current effective interest rate.
Credit ratings of the borrower are considered a key credit quality indicator when bank loan credit loss allowances are estimated. The ratings are updated quarterly and are either received from a nationally recognized rating agency or a comparable internal rating is derived if an externally provided rating is not available. The year of origination is determined to be the year in which the asset is acquired.
The bank loans amortized cost by credit rating and year of origination as of December 31 is as follows:
($ in millions)2020
2015 and Prior2016201720182019CurrentTotal
BBB$— $— $4 $— $— $2 $6 
BB10 — 1 16 11 5 43 
B5 8 42 37 23 35 150 
CCC and below3 8 15 12 18 6 62 
Amortized cost before allowance$18 $16 $62 $65 $52 $48 $261 
Allowance
(16)
Amortized cost, net$245 
The rollforward of credit loss allowance for bank loans for the years ended December 31 is as follows:
($ in millions)2020
Beginning balance$— 
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle(16)
Net increases related to credit losses
(4)
Reduction of allowance related to sales3 
Write-offs1 
Ending balance$(16)