Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2011

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies disclosure

Basis of Presentation and Accounting Policies disclosure [Text Block]

1. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of Presentation

The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the Company). These financial statements are prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and are unaudited.  In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation have been reflected.  Certain financial information that is normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP, but that is not required for interim reporting purposes, has been omitted.  All material intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated.  Certain reclassifications have been made to the 2010 consolidated financial statements and notes to conform to the 2011 presentation.  The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements and related notes should be read in conjunction with the Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the Company’s 2010 Annual Report on Form 10-K.

The preparation of the interim consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires 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 interim consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and claims and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Accounting for Costs Associated with Acquiring or Renewing Insurance Contracts

In October 2010, the FASB issued updated guidance to address diversity in practice for the accounting for costs associated with acquiring or renewing insurance contracts.  This guidance modifies the definition of acquisition costs to specify that a cost must be directly related to the successful acquisition of a new or renewal insurance contract in order to be deferred.  If application of this guidance would result in the capitalization of acquisition costs that had not previously been capitalized by a reporting entity, the entity may elect not to capitalize those costs.

The updated guidance is effective for the quarter ending March 31, 2012.  The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Creditors’ Evaluation of Whether a Restructuring is a Troubled Debt Restructuring

In April 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to clarify whether a modification or restructuring of a receivable is considered a troubled debt restructuring, i.e., whether the creditor has granted a concession and whether the debtor is experiencing financial difficulties.  A modification or restructuring that is considered a troubled debt restructuring will result in the creditor having to account for the receivable as being impaired and will also result in additional disclosure of the creditors’ troubled debt restructuring activities.  The updated guidance is effective for the quarter ending September 30, 2011 and is to be applied on a retrospective basis to the beginning of the annual period of adoption.

The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Transfers and Servicing

In April 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance related to the accounting for repurchase agreements and other agreements that entitle and obligate a transferor to repurchase or redeem financial assets before their maturity.  The updated guidance eliminates the criteria to assess whether a transferor must have the ability to repurchase or redeem the financial assets in order to demonstrate effective control over the transferred asset.   Transferors that maintain effective control over a transferred asset are required to account for the transaction as a secured borrowing rather than a sale.  The updated guidance is effective for the quarter ending March 31, 2012.  The updated guidance applies to transactions or modifications of existing transactions that occur on or after the effective date.  The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income by eliminating the option of presenting components of comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in stockholders’ equity.  The updated guidance requires that all nonowner changes in stockholders’ equity be presented either as a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  The updated guidance is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for the quarter ending March 31, 2012.  Early adoption is permitted.

The updated guidance will result in a change in the presentation of the Company’s financial statements but will not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Nature of Operations

The Company is organized into three reportable business segments: Business Insurance; Financial, Professional & International Insurance; and Personal Insurance.  These segments reflect the manner in which the Company’s businesses are currently managed and represent an aggregation of products and services based on type of customer, how the business is marketed and the manner in which risks are underwritten.  The specific business segments are as follows:

Business Insurance

The Business Insurance segment offers a broad array of property and casualty insurance and insurance-related services to its clients primarily in the United States. Business Insurance is organized into the following six groups, which collectively comprise Business Insurance Core operations: Select Accounts; Commercial Accounts; National Accounts; Industry-Focused Underwriting; Target Risk Underwriting; and Specialized Distribution.

Business Insurance also includes the Special Liability Group (which manages the Company’s asbestos and environmental liabilities) and the assumed reinsurance and certain international and other runoff operations, which collectively are referred to as Business Insurance Other.

Financial, Professional & International Insurance

The Financial, Professional & International Insurance segment includes surety and financial liability coverages, which primarily use credit-based underwriting processes, as well as property and casualty products that are primarily marketed on a domestic basis in the United Kingdom, Canada and the Republic of Ireland, and on an international basis through Lloyd’s.  The segment includes Bond & Financial Products as well as International.

On June 17, 2011, the Company acquired 43% of the common stock of J. Malucelli Participações em Seguros e Resseguros S.A, a Brazilian company (“JMalucelli”).  JMalucelli is currently the market leader in surety in Brazil based on market share.  The Company’s investment in JMalucelli will be accounted for using the equity method and is included in “other investments” on the consolidated balance sheet.

Personal Insurance

The Personal Insurance segment writes virtually all types of property and casualty insurance covering personal risks. The primary coverages in Personal Insurance are automobile and homeowners insurance sold to individuals.