Organization and Basis of Presentation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization and Basis of Presentation

1.  Organization and Basis of Presentation

Organization

Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company (“GWLA”) and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of GWL&A Financial Inc. (“GWL&A Financial”), a holding company formed in 1998.  GWL&A Financial is a direct wholly-owned subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco U.S. Inc. (“Lifeco U.S.”) and an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Great-West Lifeco Inc. (“Lifeco”), a Canadian holding company.  The Company offers a wide range of life insurance, retirement and investment products to individuals, businesses and other private and public organizations throughout the United States.  The Company is an insurance company domiciled in the State of Colorado and is subject to regulation by the Colorado Division of Insurance.

Basis of Presentation

The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the accounts of its subsidiaries over which it exercises control.  Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated in consolidation.

The condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2012, which was derived from the Company’s audited financial statements, and the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements as of and for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, have been prepared in accordance with the instructions for Form 10-Q.  In compliance with those instructions, certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted.  The Company believes that the disclosures made are adequate such that the information presented is not misleading.

In the opinion of management, these statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary to fairly present the Company’s condensed consolidated results of operations, financial position and cash flows as of September 30, 2013, and for all periods presented.  These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

The condensed consolidated results of operations and condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results or cash flows expected for the full year.

Use of Estimates

The condensed consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).  These accounting principles require management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Significant estimates are required to account for items and matters such as, but not limited to, the valuation of investments and derivatives in the absence of quoted market values, impairment of investments, valuation of DAC, valuation of policy benefit liabilities, valuation of employee benefits plan obligation and the valuation of deferred tax assets or liabilities, net.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.