VALUE OF BUSINESS ACQUIRED

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Present Value of Future Insurance Profits [Abstract]

Present Value of Future Insurance Profits [Text Block]

14. VALUE OF BUSINESS AND CUSTOMER RENEWALS ACQUIRED

The following roll-forward summarizes the change in VOBA and VOCRA for the years endedDecember 31:

	2011		2010
Balance at January 1	$	134,985	$	168,845
Amortized to expense during the year		(28,898)		(33,860)
Balance at December 31	$	106,087	$	134,985

Refer to Note 1 of the Company's consolidated financial statements for information regarding the amortization methodologies related to VOBA and VOCRA. The Company tested its VOBA and VOCRA assets for future recoverability and determined that the assets were not impaired at December 31, 2011.

The Company tested the VOCRA asset for impairment in the fourth quarter of 2009 and determined that the fair value was lower than its carrying value. Accordingly, the Company decreased the carrying value of VOCRA and recorded an impairment charge of $2.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2009. The impairment charge is included in amortization expense in the consolidated statements of operations and is allocated in the Group Protection segment.

15. CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION

The following consolidating financial statements are provided in compliance with Regulation S-X of the SEC and in accordance with SEC Rule 12h-5.

The products of the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, SLNY, include, among other products, combination fixed and variable annuity contracts (the “Contracts”) in the State of New York. These Contracts contain a fixed investment option, where interest is paid at a guaranteed rate for a specified period of time, and withdrawals made before the end of the specified period may be subject to a market value adjustment that can increase or decrease the amount of the withdrawal proceeds (the “fixed investment option period”). Effective September 27, 2007, the Company provided a full and unconditional guarantee (the “guarantee”) of SLNY's obligation related to the fixed investment option period related to Contracts currently in-force or sold on or after that date. The guarantee relieved SLNY of its obligation to file annual, quarterly, and current reports with the SEC on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K.

In the following presentation of consolidating financial statements, the term "SLUS as Parent" is used to denote the Company as a standalone entity, isolated from its subsidiaries and the term “Other Subs” is used to denote the Company's other subsidiaries, with the exception of SLNY. All consolidating financial statements are presented in thousands.