SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2021
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Accounting Standards Adopted During 2021 Income Tax On December 18, 2019, the FASB issued an accounting standard that simplifies the accounting for income taxes by eliminating certain exceptions to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The amendments also simplified other areas including the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted tax laws or rates and clarified the accounting for transactions that result in the step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. We adopted the standard on its effective date of January 1, 2021. The impact of adoption was not material to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Clarification of Accounting for Certain Equity Method Investments On January 16, 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standard to clarify how a previously issued standard regarding a company’s ability to measure the fair value of certain equity securities without a readily determinable fair value should interact with equity method investments standards. The previously issued standard provides that such equity securities could be measured at cost, minus impairment, if any, unless an observable transaction for an identical or similar security occurs (measurement alternative). The new standard clarifies that a company should consider observable transactions that require the company to either apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting for the purposes of applying the measurement alternative in accordance with the equity method immediately before applying or upon discontinuing the equity method. The standard further clarifies that, when determining the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options a company should not consider, whether upon settlement or exercise, if the underlying securities would be accounted for under the equity method or fair value option. We adopted the standard prospectively on its effective date of January 1, 2021. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. Future Application of Accounting Standards Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standard update with the objective of making targeted improvements to the existing recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements for long-duration contracts issued by an insurance entity. The standard prescribes significant and comprehensive changes to recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure as summarized below:  Requires the review and if necessary update of future policy benefit assumptions at least annually for traditional and limited pay long duration contracts, with the recognition and separate presentation of any resulting re-measurement gain or loss (except for discount rate changes as noted below) in the income statement.  Requires the discount rate assumption to be updated at the end of each reporting period using an upper medium grade (low-credit risk) fixed income instrument yield that maximizes the use of observable market inputs and recognizes the impact of changes to discount rates in other comprehensive income.  Simplifies the amortization of DAC to a constant level basis over the expected term of the related contracts with adjustments for unexpected terminations, but no longer requires an impairment test.  Requires the measurement of all market risk benefits associated with deposit (or account balance) contracts at fair value through the income statement with the exception of instrument-specific credit risk changes, which will be recognized in other comprehensive income.  Increased disclosures of disaggregated roll-forwards of policy benefits, account balances, market risk benefits, separate account liabilities and information about significant inputs, judgments and methods used in measurement and changes thereto and impact of those changes. In November 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-11, which deferred the effective date of the standard for all entities. Our implementation efforts are underway for the standard’s revised effective date of January 1, 2023; we continue to evaluate the method of adoption and impact of the standard on our reported consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures. The adoption of this standard is expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures, as well as systems, processes and controls. Reference Rate Reform On March 12, 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standard that provides temporary optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform. The standard allows us to account for certain contract modifications that result from the discontinuation of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or another reference rate as a continuation of the existing contract without additional analysis. Where permitted by the guidance, we would account for the modification due to the discontinuation of LIBOR or another reference rate as a continuation of the existing contract. As part of our implementation efforts, we will continue to assess our operational readiness and current and alternative reference rates’ merits, limitations, risks and suitability for our investment and insurance processes. This standard may be elected and applied prospectively over time from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022 as reference rate reform activities occur. The adoption of the standard is not expected to have a material impact on our reported consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures.

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Accounting Standards Adopted During 2021

Income Tax

On December 18, 2019, the FASB issued an accounting standard that simplifies the accounting for income taxes by eliminating certain exceptions to the incremental approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. The amendments also simplified other areas including the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted tax laws or rates and clarified the accounting for transactions that result in the step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. We adopted the standard on its effective date of January 1, 2021. The impact of adoption was not material to our consolidated financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

Clarification of Accounting for Certain Equity Method Investments

On January 16, 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standard to clarify how a previously issued standard regarding a company’s ability to measure the fair value of certain equity securities without a readily determinable fair value should interact with equity method investments standards. The previously issued standard provides that such equity securities could be measured at cost, minus impairment, if any, unless an observable transaction for an identical or similar security occurs (measurement alternative). The new standard clarifies that a company should consider observable transactions that require the company to either apply or discontinue the equity method of accounting for the purposes of applying the measurement alternative in accordance with the equity method immediately before applying or upon discontinuing the equity method.

The standard further clarifies that, when determining the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options a company should not consider, whether upon settlement or exercise, if the underlying securities would be accounted for under the equity method or fair value option.

We adopted the standard prospectively on its effective date of January 1, 2021. The adoption of the standard did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Future Application of Accounting Standards

Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts

In August 2018, the FASB issued an accounting standard update with the objective of making targeted improvements to the existing recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure requirements for long-duration contracts issued by an insurance entity. The standard prescribes significant and comprehensive changes to recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure as summarized below:

 Requires the review and if necessary update of future policy benefit assumptions at least annually for traditional and limited pay long duration contracts, with the recognition and separate presentation of any resulting re-measurement gain or loss (except for discount rate changes as noted below) in the income statement.

 Requires the discount rate assumption to be updated at the end of each reporting period using an upper medium grade (low-credit risk) fixed income instrument yield that maximizes the use of observable market inputs and recognizes the impact of changes to discount rates in other comprehensive income.

 Simplifies the amortization of DAC to a constant level basis over the expected term of the related contracts with adjustments for unexpected terminations, but no longer requires an impairment test.

 Requires the measurement of all market risk benefits associated with deposit (or account balance) contracts at fair value through the income statement with the exception of instrument-specific credit risk changes, which will be recognized in other comprehensive income.

 Increased disclosures of disaggregated roll-forwards of policy benefits, account balances, market risk benefits, separate account liabilities and information about significant inputs, judgments and methods used in measurement and changes thereto and impact of those changes.

In November 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-11, which deferred the effective date of the standard for all entities. Our implementation efforts are underway for the standard’s revised effective date of January 1, 2023; we continue to evaluate the method of adoption and impact of the standard on our reported consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures. The adoption of this standard is expected to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures, as well as systems, processes and controls.

Reference Rate Reform

On March 12, 2020, the FASB issued an accounting standard that provides temporary optional guidance to ease the potential burden in accounting for reference rate reform. The standard allows us to account for certain contract modifications that result from the discontinuation of the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) or another reference rate as a continuation of the existing contract without additional analysis.

Where permitted by the guidance, we would account for the modification due to the discontinuation of LIBOR or another reference rate as a continuation of the existing contract. As part of our implementation efforts, we will continue to assess our operational readiness and current and alternative reference rates’ merits, limitations, risks and suitability for our investment and insurance processes.

This standard may be elected and applied prospectively over time from March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022 as reference rate reform activities occur. The adoption of the standard is not expected to have a material impact on our reported consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows and required disclosures.