Derivatives

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2025

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivatives

9. Derivatives

Accounting for Derivatives

See Note 1 for a description of the Company’s accounting policies for derivatives and Note 10 for information about the fair value hierarchy for derivatives and the related valuation methodologies.

Derivative Strategies

The Company maintains an overall risk management strategy that incorporates the use of derivative instruments to minimize its exposure to various market risks, including interest rate, foreign currency exchange rate, credit and equity market. The Company has historically managed the risks related to its variable annuity and first generation Shield Annuity contracts on a combined basis. In the third quarter of 2025, the Company completed an initiative that established a standalone hedging program for each product allowing the Company to separately manage the risks related to these two products.

Derivatives are financial instruments with values derived from interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates, credit spreads and/or other financial indices. Derivatives may be exchange-traded or contracted in the over-the-counter (“OTC”) market. Certain of the Company’s OTC derivatives are cleared and settled through central clearing counterparties (“OTC-cleared”), while others are bilateral contracts between two counterparties (“OTC-bilateral”).

Interest Rate Derivatives

The Company uses derivatives to manage its exposure to changes in interest rate risk from its product liabilities and invested assets. The most significant types of derivative instruments used for hedging interest rate risk are as follows:

Interest rate swaps: The Company uses interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk in both qualified cash flow and non-qualifying hedging relationships. In an interest rate swap, the Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between fixed rate and floating rate interest amounts as calculated by reference to an agreed notional amount.

Interest rate swaptions: The Company uses interest rate swaptions to manage interest rate risk in non-qualifying hedging relationships. A swaption is an option to enter into a swap with a forward starting effective date. The Company pays a premium for purchased swaptions and receives a premium for written swaptions. Interest rate swaptions are included in interest rate options.

Interest rate forwards: The Company uses interest rate forwards to manage interest rate risk in both qualified cash flow and non-qualifying hedging relationships. An interest rate forward is an agreement between parties to exchange a future settlement amount based on a predetermined notional amount and forward interest rate.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Derivatives

Foreign currency swaps: The Company uses foreign currency swaps to convert foreign currency denominated cash flows to U.S. dollars to reduce cash flow fluctuations due to changes in currency exchange rates. Foreign currency swaps are used in cash flow and non-qualifying hedging relationships.

Foreign currency forwards: The Company uses foreign currency forwards to hedge currency exposure on its invested assets. Foreign currency forwards are used in non-qualifying hedging relationships.

Credit Derivatives

Credit default swaps: The Company uses credit default swaps to create synthetic credit investments to replicate credit exposure that is more economically attractive than what is available in the market or otherwise unavailable (written credit protection). Credit default swaps are used in non-qualifying hedging relationships.

Credit default swaptions: The Company uses credit default swaptions to synthetically create investments that are either more expensive to acquire or otherwise unavailable in the cash markets. Swaptions are used to create callable bonds from replication synthetic asset transaction (“RSAT”) positions. This enhances the income of the RSAT program through earned premiums while not changing the credit profile of the RSATs. Credit default swaptions are used in non-qualifying hedging relationships.

Equity Market Derivatives

The Company uses derivatives to manage its exposure to equity markets from its product liabilities. The most significant types of derivative instruments used for hedging equity market risk are as follows:

Equity total return swaps: The Company uses equity total return swaps in non-qualifying hedge relationships to manage equity risks related to variable and index-linked annuities. Total return swaps are swaps whereby the Company agrees with another party to exchange, at specified intervals, the difference between the economic risk and reward of an asset or a market index and a floating rate, calculated by reference to an agreed notional amount.

Equity index options: The Company uses equity index options to manage equity risks related to variable and index-linked annuities in non-qualifying hedging relationships. In an equity index option transaction, the Company enters into contracts to buy or sell the equity index within a limited time at a contracted price. In certain instances, the Company may enter into a combination of transactions to hedge adverse changes in equity indices within a pre-determined range through the purchase and sale of options.

Primary Risks Managed by Derivatives

The primary underlying risk exposure, gross notional amount and estimated fair value of derivatives, excluding embedded derivatives, held were as follows at:

		December 31,
		2025						2024
	Primary Underlying Risk Exposure	Gross Notional Amount		Estimated Fair Value				Gross Notional Amount		Estimated Fair Value
				Assets		Liabilities				Assets		Liabilities
		(In millions)
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	$	500	$	—	$	4	$	500	$	9	$	—
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign currency exchange rate	3,731		266		84		3,778		430		25
Total qualifying hedges		4,231		266		88		4,278		439		25
Derivatives Not Designated or Not Qualifying as Hedging Instruments:
Interest rate swaps	Interest rate	18,366		152		253		69,303		131		444
Interest rate floors	Interest rate	8,000		1		48		8,000		1		30
Interest rate caps	Interest rate	6,100		5		16		7,850		14		14
Interest rate futures	Interest rate	—		—		—		171		—		—
Interest rate options	Interest rate	26,800		12		444		23,060		11		371
Interest rate forwards	Interest rate	23,598		127		1,317		16,352		121		1,876
Foreign currency swaps	Foreign currency exchange rate	587		75		4		674		111		—
Foreign currency forwards	Foreign currency exchange rate	303		1		—		304		6		—
Credit default swaps — written	Credit	468		11		—		780		19		—
Equity futures	Equity market	1,414		6		4		316		—		1
Equity index options	Equity market	69,495		4,530		1,362		39,897		1,722		1,041
Equity total return swaps	Equity market	145,209		1,585		1,698		106,301		1,543		1,446
Total non-designated or non-qualifying derivatives		300,340		6,505		5,146		273,008		3,679		5,223
Total		$	304,571	$	6,771	$	5,234	$	277,286	$	4,118	$	5,248

The amount and location of gains (losses), including earned income, recognized for derivatives and gains (losses) pertaining to hedged items reported in net derivative gains (losses) were as follows:

	Year Ended December 31, 2025
	Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Derivatives		Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Hedged Items		Net Investment Income		Policyholder Benefits and Claims		Amount of Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
	(In millions)
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate	$	3	$	—	$	3	$	4	$	(12)
Foreign currency exchange rate	—		—		42		—		(223)
Total cash flow hedges	3		—		45		4		(235)
Derivatives Not Designated or Not Qualifying as Hedging Instruments:
Interest rate	(181)		—		—		—		—
Foreign currency exchange rate	(60)		11		—		—		—
Credit	11		—		—		—		—
Equity market	1,515		—		—		—		—
Embedded	(3,088)		—		—		—		—
Total non-qualifying hedges	(1,803)		11		—		—		—
Total	$	(1,800)	$	11	$	45	$	4	$	(235)

	Year Ended December 31, 2024
	Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Derivatives		Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Hedged Items		Net Investment Income		Policyholder Benefits and Claims		Amount of Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
	(In millions)
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate	$	2	$	—	$	3	$	8	$	9
Foreign currency exchange rate	13		(10)		50		—		125
Total cash flow hedges	15		(10)		53		8		134
Derivatives Not Designated or Not Qualifying as Hedging Instruments:
Interest rate	(1,690)		—		—		—		—
Foreign currency exchange rate	48		(9)		—		—		—
Credit	14		—		—		—		—
Equity market	1,894		—		—		—		—
Embedded	(3,950)		—		—		—		—
Total non-qualifying hedges	(3,684)		(9)		—		—		—
Total	$	(3,669)	$	(19)	$	53	$	8	$	134

	Year Ended December 31, 2023
	Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Derivatives		Net Derivative Gains (Losses) Recognized for Hedged Items		Net Investment Income		Policyholder Benefits and Claims		Amount of Gains (Losses) Deferred in AOCI
	(In millions)
Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments:
Cash flow hedges:
Interest rate	$	1	$	—	$	3	—		$	(1)
Foreign currency exchange rate	7		(8)		51		—		(272)
Total cash flow hedges	8		(8)		54		—		(273)
Derivatives Not Designated or Not Qualifying as Hedging Instruments:
Interest rate	(384)		—		—		—		—
Foreign currency exchange rate	(40)		2		—		—		—
Credit	32		—		—		—		—
Equity market	570		—		—		—		—
Embedded	(4,100)		—		—		—		—
Total non-qualifying hedges	(3,922)		2		—		—		—
Total	$	(3,914)	$	(6)	$	54	$	—	$	(273)

At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company held no qualified derivatives hedging exposure to future cash flows for forecasted asset purchases.

At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the balance in AOCI associated with cash flow hedges was $219 million and $460 million, respectively.

Credit Derivatives

In connection with synthetically created credit investment transactions, the Company writes credit default swaps for which it receives a premium to insure credit risk. If a credit event occurs, as defined by the contract, the contract may be cash settled or it may be settled gross by the Company paying the counterparty the specified swap notional amount in exchange for the delivery of par quantities of the referenced credit obligation.

The estimated fair value, maximum amount of future payments and weighted average years to maturity of written credit default swaps were as follows at:

	December 31,
	2025					2024
Rating Agency Designation of Referenced Credit Obligations (1)	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps		Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps		Weighted Average Years to Maturity (2)	Estimated Fair Value of Credit Default Swaps		Maximum Amount of Future Payments under Credit Default Swaps		Weighted Average Years to Maturity (2)
	(Dollars in millions)
Aaa/Aa/A	$	2	$	94	1.8	$	2	$	100	2.7
Baa	8		350		5.0	7		300		4.5
Ba	1		24		1.0	10		376		4.8
Caa and Lower	—		—		0.0	—		4		1.0
Total	$	11	$	468	4.1	$	19	$	780	4.4

_______________

(1)The Company has written credit protection on index references. The rating agency designations are based on availability and the midpoint of the applicable ratings among Moody’s, S&P and Fitch. If no rating is available from a rating agency, then an internally developed rating is used.

(2)The weighted average years to maturity of the credit default swaps is calculated based on weighted average gross notional amounts.

Counterparty Credit Risk

The Company may be exposed to credit-related losses in the event of counterparty nonperformance on derivative instruments. Generally, the credit exposure is the fair value at the reporting date less any collateral received from the counterparty.

The Company manages its credit risk by: (i) entering into derivative transactions with creditworthy counterparties governed by master netting agreements; (ii) trading through regulated exchanges and central clearing counterparties; (iii) obtaining collateral, such as cash and securities, when appropriate; and (iv) setting limits on single party credit exposures which are subject to periodic management review.

See Note 10 for a description of the impact of credit risk on the valuation of derivatives.

The estimated fair values of net derivative assets and net derivative liabilities after the application of master netting agreements and collateral were as follows at:

			Gross Amounts Not Offset on the Consolidated Balance Sheets
	Gross Amount Recognized		Financial Instruments (1)		Collateral Received/Pledged (2)		Net Amount		Securities Collateral Received/Pledged (3)		Net Amount After Securities Collateral
	(In millions)
December 31, 2025
Derivative assets	$	6,568	$	(3,861)	$	(1,374)	$	1,333	$	(1,330)	$	3
Derivative liabilities	$	5,099	$	(3,861)	$	—	$	1,238	$	(1,238)	$	—
December 31, 2024
Derivative assets	$	4,122	$	(3,039)	$	(524)	$	559	$	(558)	$	1
Derivative liabilities	$	5,353	$	(3,039)	$	—	$	2,314	$	(2,306)	$	8

_______________

(1)Represents amounts subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or similar agreement.

(2)The amount of cash collateral offset in the table above is limited to the net estimated fair value of derivatives after application of netting agreement.

(3)Securities collateral received from counterparties is not reported on the consolidated balance sheets and may not be sold or re-pledged unless the counterparty is in default. Amounts do not include excess of collateral pledged or received.

The Company’s collateral arrangements generally require the counterparty in a net liability position, after considering the effect of netting agreements, to pledge collateral when the amount owed by that counterparty reaches a minimum transfer amount. Certain of these arrangements also include credit-contingent provisions which permit the party with positive fair value to terminate the derivative at the current fair value or demand immediate full collateralization from the party in a net liability position, in the event that the financial strength or credit rating of the party in a net liability position falls below a certain level.

The aggregate estimated fair values of derivatives in a net liability position containing such credit-contingent provisions and the aggregate estimated fair value of assets posted as collateral for such instruments were as follows at:

	December 31,
	2025		2024
	(In millions)
Estimated fair value of derivatives in a net liability position (1)	$	1,238	$	2,314
Estimated fair value of collateral provided (2):
Fixed maturity securities	$	3,685	$	4,883

_______________

(1)After taking into consideration the existence of netting agreements.

(2)Substantially all of the Company’s collateral arrangements provide for daily posting of collateral for the full value of the derivative contract. As a result, if the credit-contingent provisions of derivative contracts in a net liability position were triggered, minimal additional assets would be required to be posted as collateral or needed to settle the instruments immediately. Additionally, the Company is required to pledge initial margin for certain new OTC-bilateral derivative transactions to third-party custodians.