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Statutory Results
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2013
Insurance [Abstract]  
Statutory Results
Statutory Results
The domestic insurance subsidiaries of the Company prepare their statutory financial statements in conformity with statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the applicable state insurance department which vary materially from U.S. GAAP. Prescribed statutory accounting practices include publications of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (“NAIC”), as well as state laws, regulations and general administrative rules. The differences between statutory financial statements and financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP vary between domestic and foreign jurisdictions. The principal differences are that statutory financial statements do not reflect deferred policy acquisition costs and limit deferred income taxes, life benefit reserves predominately use interest rate and mortality assumptions prescribed by the NAIC, bonds are generally carried at amortized cost and reinsurance assets and liabilities are presented net of reinsurance.
The statutory net income (loss) and surplus was as follows:
 
For the years ended December 31,
 
2013
2012
2011
Combined statutory net income (loss)
$
1,290

$
927

$
(669
)
Statutory capital and surplus
$
5,005

$
5,016

$
5,920


Statutory accounting practices do not consolidate the net income (loss) of subsidiaries as performed under U.S. GAAP. Therefore, the combined statutory net income (loss) above presents the total statutory net income of the Company and its other insurance subsidiaries to present a comparable statutory net income (loss).
Regulatory Capital Requirements
The Company's and its U.S. insurance companies' states of domicile impose risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements. The requirements provide a means of measuring the minimum amount of statutory capital and surplus, referred to collectively as capital, appropriate for an insurance company to support its overall business operations based on its size and risk profile. Regulatory compliance is determined by a ratio of a company's total adjusted capital (“TAC”) to its authorized control level RBC (“ACL RBC”). Companies below specific trigger points or ratios are classified within certain levels, each of which requires specified corrective action. The minimum level of TAC before corrective action commences is two times the ACL RBC (“Company Action Level”). The adequacy of a company's capital is determined by the ratio of a company's TAC to its Company Action Level (known as the RBC ratio). The Company and all of its operating insurance subsidiaries had RBC ratios in excess of the minimum levels required by the applicable insurance regulations. In aggregate, the Company and its domestic life insurance subsidiaries maintain an RBC ratio for the group in excess of 400% of Company Action Level as of December 31, 2013 and 2012. The reporting of RBC ratios is not intended for the purpose of ranking any company or for use in connection with any marketing, advertising of promotional activities.
Dividend Restrictions
Dividends to the Company from its insurance subsidiaries are restricted, as is the ability of the Company to pay dividends to its parent company. Future dividend decisions will be based on, and affected by, a number of factors, including the operating results and financial requirements of the Company on a stand-alone basis and the impact of regulatory restrictions.
The payment of dividends by Connecticut-domiciled insurers is limited under the insurance holding company laws of Connecticut. These laws require notice to and approval by the state insurance commissioner for the declaration or payment of any dividend, which, together with other dividends or distributions made within the preceding twelve months, exceeds the greater of (i) 10% of the insurer’s policyholder surplus as of December 31 of the preceding year or (ii) net income (or net gain from operations, if such company is a life insurance company) for the twelve-month period ending on the thirty-first day of December last preceding, in each case determined under statutory insurance accounting principles. In addition, if any dividend of a Connecticut-domiciled insurer exceeds the insurer’s earned surplus, it requires the prior approval of the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner. The insurance holding company laws of the other jurisdictions in which the Company’s insurance subsidiaries are incorporated (or deemed commercially domiciled) generally contain similar (although in certain instances somewhat more restrictive) limitations on the payment of dividends.
The Company’s subsidiaries are permitted to pay up to a maximum of approximately $1 billion in dividends in 2014 without prior approval from the applicable insurance commissioner. With respect to dividends to its parent, the Company’s dividend limitation under the holding company laws of Connecticut is $919 in 2014. However, because the Company’s earned surplus is negative as of December 31, 2013, the Company will not be permitted to pay any dividends to its parent in 2014 without prior approval from the Connecticut Insurance Commissioner until such time as earned surplus becomes positive. On February 5, 2013 the Company received approval from the State of Connecticut Insurance Department to receive a $1.1 billion extraordinary dividend from its Connecticut domiciled life insurance subsidiaries, and to pay a $1.2 billion extraordinary dividend to its parent company. These dividends were received and paid on February 22, 2013.