Commitments, contingencies, and guarantees (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Balance Sheet Locations, Fair Values In An Asset Or (Liability) Position, And Notional Values/Payment Provisions Of Derivative Instruments

and notional values/payment provisions of our derivative instruments: 

		December 31, 2015							December 31, 2014
	Consolidated Balance Sheet Location	Fair Value					Notional Value/ Payment Provision		Fair Value					Notional Value/ Payment Provision
		Derivative Asset		Derivative (Liability)					Derivative Asset		Derivative (Liability)
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Investment and embedded derivative instruments
Foreign currency forward contracts	OA / (AP)	$	7	$	(11	)	$	1,029	$	12	$	(7	)	$	1,329
Cross-currency swaps	OA / (AP)	—		—			95		—		—			95
Futures contracts on money market instruments	OA / (AP)	—		—			—		—		—			2,467
Options/Futures contracts on notes and bonds	OA / (AP)	5		(2		)	751		6		(29		)	1,636
Convertible securities(1)	FM AFS/ES	31		—			40		291		—			267
		$	43	$	(13	)	$	1,915	$	309	$	(36	)	$	5,794
Other derivative instruments
Futures contracts on equities(2)	OA / (AP)	$	—	$	(4	)	$	1,197	$	—	$	(21	)	$	1,384
Options on equity market indices(2)	OA / (AP)	—		—			—		2		—			250
Other	OA / (AP)	—		(6		)	15		—		(4		)	10
		$	—	$	(10	)	$	1,212	$	2	$	(25	)	$	1,644
GLB(3)	(AP) / (FPB)	$	—	$	(888	)	$	1,155	$	—	$	(663	)	$	675

⁽¹⁾ Includes fair value of embedded derivatives.

⁽²⁾  Related to GMDB and GLB blocks of business.

⁽³⁾  Includes both future policy benefits reserves and fair value derivative adjustment. Refer to Note 5c) for additional information. Note that the payment provision related to GLB is the net amount at risk. The concept of a notional value does not apply to the GLB reinsurance contracts.

Net Realized Gains (Losses) Of Derivative Instrument Activity In Consolidated Statement Of Operations

	Years Ended December 31
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	2015			2014			2013
Investment and embedded derivative instruments
Foreign currency forward contracts	$	31		$	29		$	11
All other futures contracts and options	9			(118		)	61
Convertible securities(1)	(8		)	(18		)	6
Total investment and embedded derivative instruments	$	32		$	(107	)	$	78
GLB and other derivative instruments
GLB(2)	$	(203	)	$	(217	)	$	878
Futures contracts on equities(3)	(8		)	(164		)	(555		)
Options on equity market indices(3)	(2		)	(4		)	(24		)
Other	(12		)	50			(2		)
Total GLB and other derivative instruments	$	(225	)	$	(335	)	$	297
	$	(193	)	$	(442	)	$	375

⁽¹⁾  Includes embedded derivatives.

⁽²⁾ 

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases

Future minimum lease payments under the leases are expected to be as follows:

For the year ending December 31
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2016	$	111
2017	93
2018	72
2019	54
2020	43
Thereafter	86
Total minimum future lease commitments	$	459

Secured Borrowings Repurchase Agreements Table Text Block

	Remaining contractual maturity
December 31, 2015	Overnight and Continuous
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Collateral held under securities lending agreements:
Cash	$	424
U.S. Treasury and agency	67
Foreign	296
Corporate securities	2
Equity securities	257
	$	1,046
Gross amount of recognized liability for securities lending payable	$	1,047
Difference (1)	$	(1	)

⁽¹⁾  The carrying value of the securities lending collateral held is $1 million lower than the securities lending payable due to accrued interest recorded in the securities lending payable.

Secured Borrowings Securities Lending Table Text Block

	Remaining contractual maturity
December 31, 2015	Up to 30 Days		30 - 90 Days		Greater than 90 Days		Total
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Collateral pledged under repurchase agreements:
Cash	$	34	$	—	$	—	$	34
U.S. Treasury and agency	6		—		231		237
Mortgage-backed securities	365		480		343		1,188
	$	405	$	480	$	574	$	1,459
Gross amount of recognized liabilities for repurchase agreements							$	1,404
Difference (1)							$	55