Significant credit, accounting, fraud or corporate governance issues that may adversely affect the value of certain investments in the portfolios of LNC’s companies requiring that LNC realize losses on such investments;
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Lincoln National Corporation (the “Corporation”) as of December 31, 2007 and 2006, and the related consolidated statements of income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2007. Our audits also included the financial statement schedules listed in the Index at 15(a)(2). These financial statements and schedules are the responsibility of the Corporation’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedules based on our audits.
We regularly review available-for-sale securities for impairments in value deemed to be other-than-temporary. The cost basis of securities that are determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired is written down to current fair value with a corresponding charge to realized loss in net income. A write-down for impairment can be recognized for both credit-related events and for change in fair value due to changes in interest rates. Once a security is written down to fair value through net income, any subsequent recovery in value cannot be recognized in net income until the security is sold. However, in the event that the security is written down due to an interest-rate related impairment, the write-down is accreted through investment income over the life of the security. In evaluating whether a decline in value is other-than-temporary, we consider several factors including, but not limited to: 1) the severity (generally if greater than 20%) and duration (generally if greater than six months) of the decline; 2) our ability and intent to hold the security for a sufficient period of time to allow for a recovery in value; 3) the cause of the decline; and 4) fundamental analysis of the liquidity, business prospects and overall financial condition of the issuer.
interest credited on our Consolidated Statements of Income. Amortization is computed using the same methodology and assumptions used in amortizing DAC.
We recognize the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired as goodwill. Goodwill is not amortized, but is reviewed at least annually for indications of value impairment, with consideration given to financial performance and other relevant factors. In addition, certain events, including a significant adverse change in legal factors or the business climate, an adverse action or assessment by a regulator or unanticipated competition, would cause us to review the carrying amounts of goodwill for impairment. When an impairment occurs, the carrying amounts are written down and a charge is recorded against net income using a combination of fair value and discounted cash flows. No impairments occurred during the three years ended December 31, 2007.
Universal life and variable universal life products with secondary guarantees represented approximately 31% of permanent life insurance in force as of December 31, 2007 and approximately 70% of sales for these products in 2007. Liabilities for the secondary guarantees on universal life-type products are calculated by multiplying the benefit ratio (present value of total expected secondary guarantee benefits over the life of the contract divided by the present value of total expected assessments over the life of the contract) by the cumulative assessments recorded from contract inception through the balance sheet date less the cumulative secondary guarantee benefit payments plus interest. If experience or assumption changes result in a new benefit ratio, the reserves are adjusted to reflect the changes in a manner similar to the unlocking of DAC, VOBA, DFEL and DSI. The accounting for secondary guarantee benefits impacts, and is impacted by, EGPs used to calculate amortization of DAC, VOBA, DFEL and DSI.
Includes certain stock options that vested immediately upon the consummation of the merger. Any future income tax deduction related to these vested stock options will be recognized on the option exercise date as an adjustment to the purchase price and recorded to goodwill.
We have certain variable annuity products with GMWB and GIB features that are embedded derivatives. The change in fair value of the embedded derivatives flows through net income as benefits on our Consolidated Statements of Income. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, we had approximately $18.9 billion and $13.2 billion, respectively, of separate account values that were attributable to variable annuities with a GMWB feature. As of December 31, 2007 and 2006, we had approximately $4.9 billion and $2.7 billion, respectively, of separate account values that were attributable to variable annuities with a GIB feature. All of the outstanding contracts with a GIB feature are still in the accumulation phase.
Information in the event of death on the GMDB features outstanding (dollars in millions) was as follows (our variable contracts with guarantees may offer more than one type of guarantee in each contract; therefore, the amounts listed are not mutually exclusive):
We guarantee the repayment of operating leases on facilities that we have subleased to third parties, which obligate us to pay in the event the third parties fail to perform their payment obligations under the subleasing agreements. We have recourse to the third parties enabling us to recover any amounts paid under our guarantees. The annual rental payments subject to these guarantees are $15 million and expire in 2009.
Over the next fiscal year, the estimated amount of amortization from accumulated OCI into net periodic benefit expense related to net actuarial (gains) losses is $2 million for our pension benefit plan and $(2) million for our postretirement benefit plan.
Within the broad ranges provided above, we currently target asset weightings as follows: domestic equity allocations (35%) are split into large cap growth (15%), large cap value (15%) and small cap (5%). Fixed Income allocations are weighted between core fixed income and long term bonds to track changes in the plan’s liability duration. The performance of the plan and the managed funds are monitored on a quarterly basis relative to the plan’s objectives. The performance of the managed fund is measured against the following indices: Russell 1000, Europe, Australia and Far East, Lehman Aggregate and Citigroup 90-day T-Bill. We review this investment policy on an annual basis.
In addition to the DIUS stock options discussed above, we awarded DIUS restricted stock units under the DIUS Incentive Compensation Plan, subject to a four-year ratable vesting period. Information with respect to DIUS restricted stock units was as follows: