Consolidation and Reorganization within the Life Reinsurance and Life Insurance Industry. There are fewer competitors in the traditional life reinsurance industry as a result of consolidations in the industry. As a consequence, the Company believes there will be business opportunities for the remaining life reinsurers, particularly those with a significant market presence and strong ratings. However, competition from new entrants for large in-force blocks, particularly for asset-intensive blocks, has increased in recent years. Additionally, merger and acquisition transactions within the life insurance industry will likely continue to occur, which we believe will increase the demand for reinsurance products to facilitate these transactions and manage risk.
•The Company has a history of innovation, expertise and a relentless focus on its clients. As such, the Company continues to build a diverse and experienced team while partnering with insurance companies, data and technology providers and insurtech entrepreneurs to develop and market technology and provide consulting and outsourcing solutions. While this is currently a small, but growing, part of the Company’s operations, these initiatives may lead to new revenue streams, new opportunities across the industry value chain and new business innovations that could have a transformational impact on the insurance industry and the Company.
DAC related to traditional life insurance contracts are amortized with interest over the premium-paying period of the related policies in proportion to the ratio of individual period premium revenues to total anticipated premium revenues over the life of the policy. Such anticipated premium revenues are estimated using the same assumptions used for computing liabilities for future policy benefits.
•As discussed in “Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic” above, the Company estimates it has incurred approximately $720 million of COVID-19 related life and health claim costs, including amounts incurred but not reported, with approximately $590 million of that amount being associated with the U.S. and Latin America segment.
On June 9, 2020, RGA issued 3.15% Senior Notes due June 15, 2030, with a face amount of $600 million. This security has been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The net proceeds were approximately $593 million and will be used in part to repay the Company’s $400 million 5.00% Senior Notes due in 2021, and the remainder will be used for general corporate purposes. Capitalized issue costs were approximately $5 million.
The Company enters into derivative agreements with counterparties that reference either the Company’s debt rating or its financial strength rating. If either rating is downgraded in the future, it could trigger certain terms in the Company’s derivative agreements, which could negatively affect overall liquidity. For the majority of the Company’s derivative agreements, there is a termination event, should the long-term senior debt ratings drop below either BBB+ (S&P) or Baa1 (Moody’s) or the financial strength ratings drop below either A- (S&P) or A3 (Moody’s).
(1)Future policy benefits are primarily related to the Company’s reinsurance of life and health insurance products. The amounts presented in the table above represent the estimated benefit obligations as they become due, and also include estimated future premiums on policies in force, allowances and other amounts due to or from the ceding companies as the result of the Company’s assumptions of mortality, morbidity, policy lapse and surrender risk as appropriate to the respective product. All estimated cash payments presented in the table above are undiscounted as to interest and gross of any reinsurance recoverable. The discounted liability amount of $31.5 billion included on the consolidated balance sheets exceeds the sum of the undiscounted estimated cash flows of $14.1 billion shown above. The difference is substantially due to net obligations including estimated future premiums exceeding estimated policy benefit payments and allowances due to the nature of certain reinsurance treaties, which generally have increasing premium rates that exceed the increasing benefit payments. In addition, differences will arise due to changes in the projection of future benefit payments compared with those developed when the reserve was established. Total payments may vary materially from prior years due to the assumption of new reinsurance treaties or as a result of changes in projections of future experience.
The Company holds various types of fixed maturity securities available-for-sale and classifies them as corporate securities (“Corporate”), Canadian and Canadian provincial government securities (“Canadian government”), residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), asset-backed securities (“ABS”), commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”), U.S. government and agencies (“U.S. government”), state and political subdivisions, and other foreign government, supranational and foreign government-sponsored enterprises (“Other foreign government”). RMBS, ABS and CMBS are collectively “structured securities.” As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, approximately 94.0% and 95.5%, respectively, of the Company’s consolidated investment portfolio of fixed maturity securities were investment grade.
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company classified approximately 5.9% and 6.1%, respectively, of its fixed maturity securities in the Level 3 category (refer to Note 6 - “Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information). These securities primarily consist of private placement corporate securities, bank loans and Canadian provincial strips with inactive trading markets.
The majority of the Company’s funds withheld at interest balances are associated with its reinsurance of annuity contracts. The funds withheld receivable balance for segregated portfolios is subject to the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging related to embedded derivatives.
Risk Categories - The Company groups its risks into the following categories: Insurance risk, Market and Credit risk, Capital risk, Operational risk and Strategic risk. Specific risk assessments and descriptions can be found below and in Item 1A - “Risk Factors.”
Business operations risk is the risk related to business processes and procedures. Business operations risk includes risk associated with the processing of transactions, data use and management, monitoring and reporting, the integrity and accuracy of models, the use of third parties, and the delivery of advisory services.
Additionally, reinsurance treaties written on a modco or funds withheld basis are subject to the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging related to embedded derivatives. The Company’s funds withheld at interest balances are primarily associated with its reinsurance treaties structured on a modco or funds withheld basis, the majority of which were subject to the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging related to embedded derivatives. Management believes the embedded derivative feature in each of these reinsurance treaties is similar to a total return swap on the assets held by the ceding companies. The valuation of embedded derivatives is sensitive to the investment credit spread environment. Changes in investment credit spreads are also affected by the application of a credit valuation adjustment (“CVA”). The fair value calculation of an embedded derivative in an asset position utilizes a CVA based on the ceding company’s credit risk. Conversely, the fair value calculation of an embedded derivative in a liability position utilizes a CVA based on the Company’s credit risk. Generally, an increase in investment credit spreads, ignoring changes in the CVA, will have a negative impact on the fair value of the embedded derivative (decrease in income). The fair value of the embedded derivatives is included in the funds withheld at interest line item on the consolidated balance sheets. The change in the fair value of the embedded derivatives is recorded in investment related gains (losses), net on the consolidated statements of income.
The Company tests the recoverability for each year of business at issue before establishing additional deferred acquisition costs (“DAC”). The Company also performs annual tests to establish that DAC are expected to remain recoverable, and if financial performance significantly deteriorates to the point where a deficiency exists, a cumulative charge to current operations will be recorded. No such adjustments related to DAC recoverability were made in 2020, 2019 and 2018.
The Company made a policy election to account for global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) as a period cost.
•Eligible deferred acquisition costs are capitalized and amortized in proportion to premium.
The following table presents the maturities of the Company’s recorded investment in mortgage loans as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 (dollars in millions):
The Company designates and reports certain foreign currency swaps to hedge the foreign currency fair value exposure of foreign currency denominated assets as fair value hedges when they meet the requirements of the general accounting principles for Derivatives and Hedging. The gain or loss on the hedged item attributable to a change in foreign currency and the offsetting gain or loss on the related foreign currency swaps as of December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 were (dollars in millions):
The Company may be exposed to credit-related losses in the event of non-performance by counterparties to derivative financial instruments. Generally, the credit exposure of the Company’s derivative contracts is limited to the fair value and accrued interest of non-collateralized derivative contracts in an asset position at the reporting date. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had credit exposure of $19 million.
As of December 31, 2020, the Company’s total amount of unrecognized tax benefits is $342 million and the total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that would affect the effective tax rate, if recognized, is $155 million. Management believes it is reasonably possible that the unrecognized tax benefit could decrease by up to $312 million over the next 12 months if statutes expire.
Reinsurance Company of Missouri (“RCM”), RGA Reinsurance and Chesterfield Reinsurance Company (“Chesterfield Re”) are subject to Missouri statutory provisions that restrict the payment of dividends. They may not pay dividends in any 12-month period in excess of the greater of the prior year’s statutory net gain from operations or 10% of statutory capital and surplus at the preceding year-end, without regulatory approval. Aurora National Life Assurance Company (“Aurora National”) is subject
In 2015, RGA’s subsidiary, RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. (“RGA Barbados”) obtained CAD$200.0 million of collateral financing from a third party that matured in May 2020, enabling RGA Barbados to support collateral requirements for Canadian reinsurance transactions. The obligation is reflected on the consolidated balance sheets in collateral finance and securitization notes. Interest on the collateral financing is payable quarterly and accrues at 3-month Canadian Dealer Offered Rate plus a margin and totaled $2 million, $5 million and $5 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.
from and capital contribution to Chesterfield Re to capitalize Chesterfield Re and to finance the payment of a ceding commission by Chesterfield Re to RGA Reinsurance under the retrocession agreement. As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, the Company held deposits in trust of $10 million and $15 million, respectively, to cover interest payments on the notes, which are not available to satisfy the general obligations of the Company. Interest on the notes accrues at an annual rate of 4.50%, payable quarterly, and totaled $7 million, $8 million and $10 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The notes represent senior, secured indebtedness of Chesterfield Financial. Limited support is provided by RGA for temporary potential liquidity events at Chesterfield Financial and for temporary potential statutory capital and surplus events at Chesterfield Re. Otherwise, there is no legal recourse to RGA or its other subsidiaries. The notes are not insured or guaranteed by any other person or entity.
The table above includes amortization of DAC, including the effect from investment related gains and losses.
was not exercised and expired on July 2, 2020. The Company anticipates using the net proceeds of the offering for general corporate purposes.