Deferred acquisition costs (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2024

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Disclosures [Abstract]

Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs

The following tables present a roll-forward of deferred policy acquisition costs on long-duration contracts included in the Life Insurance segment:

	Year Ended December 31, 2024
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Term Life		Universal Life		Whole Life		A&H		Other		Total
Balance – beginning of period	$	402	$	674	$	534	$	1,301	$	274	$	3,185
Capitalizations	201		156		387		630		82		1,456
Amortization expense	(121)		(81)		(37)		(182)		(27)		(448)
Other (including foreign exchange)	(13)		(27)		(14)		(68)		(5)		(127)
Balance – end of period	$	469	$	722	$	870	$	1,681	$	324	$	4,066
Overseas General Insurance segment excluded from table											605
Total deferred policy acquisition costs on long-duration contracts											$	4,671
Deferred policy acquisition costs on short-duration contracts											3,687
Total deferred policy acquisition costs											$	8,358

	Year Ended December 31, 2023
(in millions of U.S. dollars)	Term Life		Universal Life		Whole Life		A&H		Other		Total
Balance – beginning of period	$	324	$	639	$	392	$	891	$	268	$	2,514
Capitalizations	176		129		159		564		36		1,064
Amortization expense	(100)		(80)		(23)		(137)		(29)		(369)
Other (including foreign exchange)	2		(14)		6		(17)		(1)		(24)
Balance – end of period	$	402	$	674	$	534	$	1,301	$	274	$	3,185
Overseas General Insurance segment excluded from table											621
Total deferred policy acquisition costs on long-duration contracts											$	3,806
Deferred policy acquisition costs on short-duration contracts											3,346
Total deferred policy acquisition costs											$	7,152