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Share-based compensation
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2020
Share-based Payment Arrangement [Abstract]  
Share-based compensation Share-based compensation
Chubb has share-based compensation plans which currently provide the Board the ability to grant awards of stock options, restricted stock, and restricted stock units to its employees and members of the Board.

In May 2016, our shareholders approved the Chubb Limited 2016 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the 2016 LTIP), which replaced both the ACE Limited 2004 LTIP (the 2004 LTIP) and The Chubb Corporation Long-Term Incentive Plan (2014). The 2016 LTIP is substantially similar to the 2004 LTIP in its operation and the types of awards that may be granted. Under the 2016 LTIP, Common Shares of Chubb were authorized to be issued pursuant to awards made as stock options, stock appreciation rights, performance shares, performance units, restricted stock, and restricted stock units.

Chubb principally issues restricted stock grants and stock options on a graded vesting schedule, with equal percentages of the award subject to vesting over a number of years (typically three or four). Chubb recognizes compensation cost for vesting of restricted stock and stock option grants with only service conditions on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each separately vesting portion of the award as if the award were, in-substance, multiple awards. We incorporate an estimate of future forfeitures in determining compensation cost for both grants of restricted stock and stock options.

In addition, Chubb grants performance-based restricted stock to certain executives that vest based on certain performance criteria as compared to a defined group of peer companies. Performance-based stock awards comprise target awards and premium awards that cliff vest at the end of a 3-year performance period based on both our tangible book value (shareholders' equity less goodwill and intangible assets, net of tax) per share growth and P&C combined ratio compared to our peer group. Premium awards are subject to an additional vesting provision based on total shareholder return (TSR) compared to our peer
group. Shares representing target awards and premium awards are issued when the awards are approved and are subject to forfeiture if applicable performance criteria are not met at the end of the 3-year performance period. Prior to January 2017, performance-based restricted stock awards had a 4-year vesting period with the potential to vest as to a portion each year, and excluded the P&C combined ratio and TSR additional vesting criteria.

Under the 2016 LTIP, 19,500,000 Common Shares are authorized to be issued. This is in addition to any shares that have not been delivered pursuant to the 2004 LTIP and remain available for grant pursuant to the 2004 LTIP and includes any shares covered by awards granted under the 2004 LTIP that have forfeited, expired or canceled after the effective date of the 2016 LTIP. At December 31, 2020, a total of 7,576,239 shares remain available for future issuance under the 2016 LTIP, which includes shares canceled or forfeited from the 2004 LTIP, in addition to common shares that were previously registered and authorized to be issued.

Under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), 6,500,000 shares are authorized to be issued.  At December 31, 2020, a total of 1,402,017 shares remain available for issuance under the ESPP.

Chubb generally issues Common Shares for the exercise of stock options, restricted stock, and purchases under the ESPP from Common Shares in treasury.

The following table presents pre-tax and after-tax share-based compensation expense:
Year Ended December 31
(in millions of U.S. dollars)202020192018
Stock options and shares issued under ESPP:
Pre-tax$45 $42 $50 
After-tax (1)
$38 $39 $40 
Restricted stock:
Pre-tax$210 $224 $235 
After-tax (1)
$164 $180 $178 
(1)The windfall tax benefit recorded to Income tax expense in the Consolidated statement of operations was $10 million, $12 million, and $19 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively.

Unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested portion of Chubb's employee share-based awards of restricted stock, restricted stock units, and stock options was $199 million at December 31, 2020 and is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 1 year.

Stock options
Both incentive and non-qualified stock options are principally granted at an option price per share equal to the grant date fair value of Chubb's Common Shares. Stock options are generally granted with a 3-year vesting period and a 10-year term. Stock options vest in equal annual installments over the respective vesting period, which is also the requisite service period.

Chubb's 2020 share-based compensation expense includes a portion of the cost related to the 2017 through 2020 stock option grants. Stock option fair value was estimated on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model that uses the weighted-average assumptions noted below:
Year Ended December 31
202020192018
Dividend yield2.1 %2.2 %2.0 %
Expected volatility18.0 %16.0 %23.2 %
Risk-free interest rate1.2 %2.6 %2.7 %
Expected life5.7 years5.7 years5.7 years

The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant. The expected life (estimated period of time from grant to exercise date) is estimated using the historical exercise behavior of employees. For years 2020 and 2019, expected volatility is calculated as a blend of (a) historical volatility based on daily closing prices over a period equal to
the expected life assumption and (b) implied volatility derived from Chubb's publicly traded options. For year 2018, expected volatility was calculated as a blend of (a) historical volatility based on daily closing prices over a period equal to the expected life assumption, (b) long-term historical volatility based on daily closing prices over the period from Chubb's initial public trading date through the most recent quarter, and (c) implied volatility derived from Chubb's publicly traded options.

The following table presents a roll-forward of Chubb's stock options:
(Intrinsic Value in millions of U.S. dollars)Number of OptionsWeighted-Average Exercise PriceWeighted-Average Fair ValueTotal Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding, December 31, 201710,433,316 $99.20 
Granted1,842,690 $143.07 $29.71 
Exercised(1,065,384)$73.57 $71 
Forfeited and expired(202,900)$133.92 
Options outstanding, December 31, 201811,007,722 $108.25 
Granted2,073,940 $133.90 $18.76 
Exercised(1,944,604)$84.13 $122 
Forfeited and expired(251,801)$136.87 
Options outstanding, December 31, 201910,885,257 $116.79 
Granted1,958,279 $150.10 $19.89 
Exercised(1,158,633)$86.90 $76 
Forfeited and expired(206,720)$138.77 
Options outstanding, December 31, 202011,478,183 $125.09 $331 
Options exercisable, December 31, 20207,792,343 $116.35 $293 

The weighted-average remaining contractual term was 6.0 years for stock options outstanding and 4.8 years for stock options exercisable at December 31, 2020. Cash received from the exercise of stock options for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $100 million.

Restricted stock and restricted stock units
Grants of restricted stock and restricted stock units awarded under both the 2004 LTIP and 2016 LTIP typically have a 4-year vesting period, subject to vesting as to one-quarter of the award each anniversary of grant. Restricted stock and restricted stock units are granted at market close price on the day of grant. Each restricted stock unit represents our obligation to deliver to the holder one Common Share upon vesting.

Chubb also grants restricted stock awards to non-management directors which vest at the following year's annual general meeting.

Chubb's 2020 share-based compensation expense includes a portion of the cost related to the restricted stock granted in the years 2016 through 2020.
The following table presents a roll-forward of our restricted stock awards. Included in the roll-forward below are 27,679 restricted stock awards, 19,019 restricted stock awards, and 20,784 restricted stock awards that were granted to non-management directors during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, respectively:
Service-based
Restricted Stock Awards
and Restricted Stock Units		Performance-based
Restricted Stock Awards
and Restricted Stock Units
Number of SharesWeighted-Average
Grant-Date Fair Value		Number of SharesWeighted-Average
Grant-Date Fair Value
Unvested restricted stock, December 31, 20174,709,442 $121.16 975,497 $118.28 
Granted1,326,979 $142.76 180,065 $143.07 
Vested(2,545,090)$114.83 (244,332)$103.03 
Forfeited(196,482)$131.06 — $— 
Unvested restricted stock, December 31, 20183,294,849 $134.17 911,230 $127.27 
Granted1,492,900 $134.38 212,059 $133.90 
Vested(1,292,864)$129.18 (196,640)$115.62 
Forfeited(200,875)$135.98 (50,437)$132.36 
Unvested restricted stock, December 31, 20193,294,010 $136.20 876,212 $131.16 
Granted1,425,667 $148.56 186,291 $151.14 
Vested(1,304,308)$134.02 (490,185)$125.66 
Forfeited(152,074)$140.72 — $— 
Unvested restricted stock, December 31, 20203,263,295 $142.32 572,318 $142.38 

Prior to 2009, legacy ACE granted restricted stock units with a 1-year vesting period to non-management directors. Delivery of Common Shares on account of these restricted stock units to non-management directors is deferred until after the date of the non-management directors' termination from the Board. Legacy Chubb Corp historically allowed directors and certain key employees of Chubb Corp and its subsidiaries to defer a portion of their compensation earned with respect to services performed in the form of deferred stock units. In addition, legacy Chubb Corp provided supplemental retirement benefits for certain employees through its Defined Contribution Excess Benefit Plan in the form of deferred shares of stock. The minimum vesting period under these legacy Chubb Corp deferred plans was 1-year and the maximum was 3-years. Employees and directors had the option to elect to receive their awards at a future specified date or upon their termination of service with Chubb. At December 31, 2020, there were 166,624 deferred restricted stock units.

ESPP
The ESPP gives participating employees the right to purchase Common Shares through payroll deductions during consecutive subscription periods at a purchase price of 85 percent of the fair value of a Common Share on the exercise date (Purchase Price). Annual purchases by participants are limited to the number of whole shares that can be purchased by an amount equal to ten percent of the participant's compensation or $25,000, whichever is less. The ESPP has two six-month subscription periods each year, the first of which runs between January 1 and June 30 and the second of which runs between July 1 and December 31. The amounts collected from participants during a subscription period are used on the exercise date to purchase full shares of Common Shares. An exercise date is generally the last trading day of a subscription period. The number of shares purchased is equal to the total amount, at the exercise date, collected from the participants through payroll deductions for that subscription period, divided by the Purchase Price, rounded down to the next full share. Participants may withdraw from an offering before the exercise date and obtain a refund of amounts withheld through payroll deductions. Pursuant to the provisions of the ESPP, during the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, employees paid $45 million, $41 million, and $37 million to purchase 383,751 shares, 321,800 shares, and 347,116 shares, respectively.