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Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2023
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Disclosure Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies
Business

Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company ("VRIAC") is a stock life insurance company domiciled in the State of Connecticut. VRIAC and its wholly owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") provide financial products and services in the United States. VRIAC is authorized to conduct its insurance business in all states and in the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

VRIAC is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Voya Holdings Inc. ("Parent"), which is a direct, wholly owned subsidiary of Voya Financial, Inc. ("Voya Financial").

The Company derives its revenue mainly from (a) Investment income earned on investments, (b) Fee income generated from separate account assets supporting variable options under variable annuity contract investments, as designated by contract owners, (c) Premiums, (d) Net gains (losses) on investments and changes in fair value of embedded derivatives on product guarantees, and (e) Other revenue which includes certain other fees. The Company's benefits and expenses primarily consist of (a) Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders, (b) Operating expenses, which include expenses related to the selling and servicing of the various products offered by us and other general business expenses, and (c) Amortization of Deferred acquisition costs ("DAC") and Value of business acquired ("VOBA"). In addition, the Company collects broker-dealer commission revenues through Voya Financial Partners, LLC ("VFP"), which are, in turn, paid to broker-dealers and expensed.

The Company offers qualified and non-qualified annuity contracts that include a variety of funding and payout options for individuals and employer-sponsored retirement plans qualified under Internal Revenue Code Sections 401, 403, 408, 457 and 501, as well as non-qualified deferred compensation plans and related services. The Company's products are offered primarily to public and private school systems, higher education institutions, hospitals and healthcare facilities, not-for-profit organizations, state and local governments, small to mid-sized corporations and individuals. The Company also provides stable value investment options, including separate account guaranteed investment contracts (e.g., GICs) and synthetic GICs, to institutional clients. Pension risk transfer group annuity solutions were previously offered to institutional plan sponsors who needed to transfer their defined benefit plan obligations to the Company. The Company discontinued sales of these solutions to better align business activities to the Company's priorities. This business was transferred as part of the Individual Life Transaction described below. The Company's products are generally distributed through independent brokers and advisors, third-party administrators and consultants.

Products offered by the Company include deferred and immediate (i.e., payout) annuity contracts. The Company's products also include programs offered to qualified plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans that package administrative and record-keeping services, participant education, and retirement readiness planning tools along with a variety of investment options, including proprietary and non-proprietary mutual funds and variable and fixed investment options. In addition, the Company offers wrapper agreements entered into with retirement plans, which contain certain benefit responsive guarantees (i.e., guarantees of principal and previously accrued interest for benefits paid under the terms of the plan) with respect to portfolios of plan-owned assets not invested with the Company. Stable value products are also provided to institutional plan sponsors where the Company may or may not be providing other employer sponsored products and services.

The Company has one operating segment.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and are unaudited. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Those estimates are inherently subject to change and actual results could differ from those estimates, and the differences may be material to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of VRIAC and its wholly owned subsidiaries, VFP, Voya Institutional Plan Services, LLC ("VIPS"), and Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC ("VRA"). Intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.

The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are unaudited and reflect adjustments (including normal, recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows for the interim periods presented, in conformity with U.S. GAAP. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of full year performance.

As a result of the modified retrospective adoption methodology for Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-12, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts, ("ASU 2018-12") adjustments have been made to the December 31, 2022 audited Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the SEC. Certain of these adjustments are included in the Adoption of New Pronouncements - Long-Duration Contracts section, in accordance with the transition disclosure requirements of ASU 2018-12, and are unaudited. These interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Significant Accounting Policies

Effective January 1, 2023, the Company adopted ASU 2018-12, as amended. As a result, the Company made changes to the following significant accounting policies:

Estimates and Assumptions

Upon adoption of ASU 2018-12, DAC and VOBA were no longer considered significant estimates by the Company, as the amortization methodology is no longer subject to a significant degree of variability and does not require a high degree of judgment.

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs and Value of Business Acquired

DAC represents policy acquisition costs that have been capitalized and are subject to amortization. Capitalized costs are incremental, direct costs of contract acquisition and certain other costs related directly to successful acquisition activities. Such costs consist principally of commissions, underwriting, sales and contract issuance and processing expenses directly related to the successful acquisition of new and renewal business. Indirect or unsuccessful acquisition costs, maintenance, product development and overhead expenses are charged to expense as incurred. VOBA represents the outstanding value of in-force business acquired and is subject to amortization. The value is based on the present value of estimated net cash flows embedded in the insurance contracts at the time of the acquisition and increased for subsequent deferrable expenses on purchased policies. DAC/VOBA amortization is recorded in Net amortization of Deferred policy acquisition costs and Value of business acquired in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Amortization Methodologies
The Company amortizes DAC/VOBA related to deferred annuity contracts on a constant level basis over the expected term of the related contracts. Contracts are grouped for amortization purposes by market type and issue year cohort using assumptions on a basis consistent with those used in estimating the associated liability or other related balance, where applicable.

The principal assumption deemed critical to the DAC/VOBA amortization is the estimated contract term, which incorporates mortality and persistency, and represents management’s best estimate of future outcome. The Company periodically reviews this assumption against actual experience and, based on additional information that becomes available, updates the assumption. Changes in contract term estimates are reflected prospectively in amortization expense as of the beginning of the reporting period in which the change is made.

VOBA is subject to recoverability testing; DAC is not. The Company performs testing to assess the recoverability of VOBA on an annual basis, or more frequently if circumstances indicate a potential loss recognition issue exists. If VOBA is not deemed recoverable, charges will be applied against the VOBA balance before an additional reserve is established.
Future Policy Benefits

The Company establishes and carries actuarially-determined reserves that are calculated to meet its future obligations, including estimates of unpaid claims and claims that the Company believes have been incurred but have not yet been reported as of the balance sheet date. Reserves for payout contracts with life contingencies are equal to the present value of future payments.
Principal assumptions used to establish liabilities for future policy benefits include interest rate, mortality, morbidity, policy lapse, contract renewal, payment of subsequent premiums or deposits by the contract owner, retirement, inflation, and benefit utilization. Other than interest rate assumptions, these assumptions are based on Company experience and periodically reviewed against industry standards. The Company reviews these assumptions at least annually and updates them if necessary. In addition to assumption updates, the Company adjusts reserves for actual experience in the period in which the experience occurs. Changes in, or deviations from, the assumptions used can significantly affect the Company's reserve levels and related results of operations. Remeasurements of the reserves as a result of assumption updates and adjustments for actual experience are recognized in Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Interest rates used in discounting the reserves are based on an upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income instrument yield derived from observable market data. A 30-year forward rate is used for periods beyond the last observable market point. Reserves are remeasured quarterly to reflect changes in the discount rate, with the resulting change recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). Locked-in interest rates used to determine interest accretion on reserves for new contracts sold after January 1, 2021 are based on the upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income instrument yield applicable at the time the business was issued. Locked-in interest accretion rates for contracts in force as of the January 1, 2021 transition date for ASU 2018-12 are based on the locked-in interest rates in effect for those contracts immediately before the transition date. Interest accretion is recorded in Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders on the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Product Guarantees and Additional Reserves
The Company calculates additional reserve liabilities for certain variable annuity guaranteed benefits and variable funding products. The Company periodically evaluates its estimates and adjusts the additional liability balance, with a related charge or credit to benefit expense, if actual experience or other evidence suggests that earlier assumptions should be revised. Changes in, or deviations from, the assumptions used can significantly affect the Company's reserve levels and related results of operations.

Stabilizer and MCG: Guaranteed credited rates give rise to an embedded derivative in the stabilizer ("Stabilizer") products and a stand-alone derivative for managed custody guarantee products ("MCG"). These derivatives are measured at estimated fair value and recorded in Future policy benefits and contract owner account balances. Changes in estimated fair value, that are not related to attributed fees collected or payments made, are reported in Net gains (losses) in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The estimated fair value of the Stabilizer embedded derivative and MCG stand-alone derivative is determined based on the present value of projected future claims, minus the present value of future guaranteed premiums. At inception of the contract, the Company projects a guaranteed premium to be equal to the present value of the projected future claims. The income associated with the contracts is projected using actuarial and capital market assumptions, including benefits and related contract charges, over the anticipated life of the related contracts. The cash flow estimates are projected under multiple capital market scenarios using observable risk-free rates and other best estimate assumptions.

The liabilities for the Stabilizer embedded derivative and the MCG stand-alone derivative include a risk margin to capture uncertainties related to policyholder behavior assumptions. The margin represents additional compensation a market participant would require to assume these risks.

The discount rate used to determine the fair value of the liabilities for the Stabilizer embedded derivative and the MCG stand-alone derivative includes an adjustment to reflect the risk that these obligations will not be fulfilled ("nonperformance risk").
Reinsurance

The Company utilizes reinsurance agreements in most aspects of its insurance business to reduce its exposure to large losses. Such reinsurance permits recovery of a portion of losses from reinsurers, although it does not discharge the primary liability of the Company as direct insurer of the risks reinsured.

For each of its reinsurance agreements, the Company determines whether the agreement provides indemnification against loss or liability relating to insurance risk. The Company reviews contractual features, particularly those that may limit the amount of insurance risk to which the reinsurer is subject or features that delay the timely reimbursement of claims. The assumptions used to account for long-duration reinsurance agreements are consistent with those used for the underlying contracts with the exception of the interest accretion rate on reinsurance recoverable assets associated with in-force business reinsured. Ceded Future policy benefits and contract owner account balances are reported gross on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

For reinsurance of long-duration contracts that transfer significant insurance risk, the difference, if any, between the amounts paid and benefits received related to the underlying contracts is included in the expected net cost of reinsurance, which is recorded in Premiums receivable and reinsurance recoverable or Other liabilities, as appropriate, on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Accounting for reinsurance requires use of assumptions and estimates, particularly related to the future performance of the underlying business and the potential impact of counterparty credit risks. The Company reviews assumptions used to establish assets and liabilities relating to ceded and assumed reinsurance at least annually and updates them if necessary. In addition to the assumption updates, the Company adjusts these assets or liabilities for actual experience in the period in which the experience occurs. The Company also evaluates the financial strength of potential reinsurers and continually monitors the financial condition of reinsurers.

Reinsurance recoverable balances are reported net of the allowance for credit losses on the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. Management estimates the credit loss allowance balance using a factor-based method of probability of default and loss given default which incorporates relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Included in the factor-based method are the consideration of capital market factors, counterparty financial information and ratings, and reinsurance agreement-specific risk characteristics such as collateral type, collateral size, and covenant strength.

The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the reinsurance recoverable balance to present the net amount expected to be collected on the reinsurance recoverable. The change in the allowance for credit losses is recorded in Policyholder benefits in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

Current reinsurance recoverable balances deemed probable of recovery and payable balances under reinsurance agreements are included in Premiums receivable and reinsurance recoverable and Other liabilities, respectively. Such assets and liabilities relating to reinsurance agreements with the same reinsurer are recorded net on the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets if a right of offset exists within the reinsurance agreement. Premiums, Fee income and Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders are reported net of reinsurance ceded.

Significant accounting policies that were unchanged from those included in the Company’s December 31, 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K as a result of the adoption of ASU 2018-12 have not been repeated. These policies include Internal Replacements, Contract Owner Account Balances, and Separate Accounts.
Adoption of New Pronouncements

Long-Duration Contracts

The following section provides a description of the Company's adoption of ASU 2018-12 issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") and the impact of the adoption on the Company's financial statements:

This standard, issued in August 2018, changes the measurement and disclosures of insurance liabilities and DAC for long-duration contracts issued by insurers. In addition to expanded disclosures, the standard’s requirements include:
Annual review and, if necessary, update of cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits for nonparticipating traditional and limited payment insurance contracts, measured on a retrospective catch-up basis and recognized in the period the update is made. The rate used is required to be updated quarterly, with related changes in the liability recorded in AOCI.
Fair value measurement of contract guarantee features qualifying as Market Risk Benefits (“MRB”), with changes in fair value recognized in the Statement of Operations. Changes in the instrument-specific credit risk will be recorded in AOCI.
Amortization of DAC on a constant level basis over the expected term of the contracts, without reference to revenue or profitability. An accounting election may be made to apply the DAC requirements to VOBA.

The Company adopted ASU 2018-12 on January 1, 2023, on a modified retrospective basis for the liability for future policy benefits and DAC and on a full retrospective basis for MRBs. The January 1, 2021 transition impact increased Total shareholder’s equity. This increase was primarily driven by the removal of DAC/VOBA and Premium deficiency reserve adjustment balances, and partially offset by the impact of remeasurement of Future policy benefits and Reinsurance recoverable
using the discount rate at January 1, 2021. Total shareholder’s equity was also impacted by the establishment of MRB liabilities related to guaranteed minimum benefits on certain deferred annuity contracts.

Disclosures and post-transition comparative information have been restated to conform to the requirements of ASU 2018-12.

The following tables provide additional information related to the transition adjustments:

DACVOBA
Wealth Solutions Deferred and Individual Annuities
Balance, December 31, 2020$129 $40 
Adjustment for removal of related balances in AOCI439 386 
Balance, January 1, 2021$568 $426 
The following table presents information on transition adjustments, net of tax, related to the adoption of ASU 2018-12 for retained earnings and AOCI to arrive at the opening balances as of January 1, 2021:

Total Shareholder's equity December 31, 2020$4,897 
AOCI
Reversal of AOCI adjustments1,018 
Effect of remeasurement of liability at current discount rate(339)
Total AOCI adjustments$679 
Retained Earnings
Establishment of MRBs$(61)
Other adjustments
Total Retained earnings$(58)
Total adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2018-12$621 
Total Shareholder's equity January 1, 2021$5,518 

The following table provides a description of the Company’s adoption of other new ASUs issued by the FASB and the impact of adoption on the Company’s financial statements:

StandardDescription of RequirementsEffective Date and Transition ProvisionsEffect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2022-02, Troubled Debt Restructurings ("TDRs") and Vintage DisclosuresThis standard, issued in March 2022, eliminates the accounting guidance on troubled debt restructurings for creditors, requires enhanced disclosures for creditors about loan modifications when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty, and requires public business entities to include current-period gross write-offs in the vintage disclosure tables.January 1, 2023 on a prospective basis.
Adoption of the ASU did not have an impact on the Company's financial condition, results of
operations, or cash flows.

Required disclosure changes have been
included in the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note to these Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate ReformThis standard, issued in March 2020, provides temporary optional expedients and exceptions for applying U.S. GAAP principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain criteria are met.The amendments were effective as of March 12, 2020, the issuance date of the ASU. An entity may elect to apply the amendments prospectively through December 31, 2024.The Company has elected to apply the optional expedient provided in ASU 2020-04 for qualifying contract modifications. To date, adoption of the guidance has not had a material impact on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. The Company will continue to evaluate the impacts of reference rate reform on contract modifications and hedging relationships as transition progresses.
Future Adoption of Accounting Pronouncements

The following table provides a description of future adoptions of new accounting standards that may have an impact on the Company's financial statements when adopted:

StandardDescription of RequirementsEffective Date and Transition ProvisionsEffect on the Financial Statements or Other Significant Matters
ASU 2022-03, Fair Value Measurement of Equity Securities Subject to Contractual Sale Restrictions
This standard, issued in June 2022, clarifies that contractual restrictions on equity security sales are not considered part of the security unit of account and, therefore, are not considered in measuring fair value. In addition, the restrictions cannot be recognized and measured as separate units of account. Disclosures on such restrictions are also required.
The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2023, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and are required to be applied prospectively, with any adjustments from the adoption recognized in earnings and disclosed.
The Company is currently in the process of determining the impact of adoption of the provisions of ASU 2022-03.