Purchase obligations consist primarily of commitments to purchase investments during 2005.
The Company intends to early adopt the provisions of FAS 123R on January 1, 2005 using the modified-prospective method. The adoption of FAS 123R is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. Prior to January 2005, the Company applied the intrinsic value-based provisions set forth in APB Opinion No. 25, "Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees". Under the intrinsic value method, compensation expense is determined on the measurement date, which is the first date on which both the number of shares the employee is entitled to receive and the exercise price are known. Compensation expense, if any, is measured based on the award's intrinsic value, which is the excess of the market price of the stock over the exercise price on the measurement date.
Because the sale of the domestic individual life insurance business on October 1, 1998 was substantially in the form of an indemnity reinsurance agreement, the Company includes an amount in reinsurance recoverable on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, which approximates the Company's total individual life reserves. See Note 11 to the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Unpaid claims and claim expenses for all lines of insurance include benefits for reported losses and estimates of benefits for losses incurred but not reported.
During 2004, VOBA amortization increased principally due to higher actual gross profits, a result of the margins earned on higher fixed and variable assets and fewer other-than-temporary impairments. Also, surrenders increased, which resulted in higher amortization for certain business.
The Insurance Department of the State of Connecticut (the "Department") recognizes as net income and capital and surplus those amounts determined in conformity with statutory accounting practices prescribed or permitted by the Department, which differ in certain respects from accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Statutory net income (loss) was $217.2, $67.5, and $148.8 for the years ended December 31, 2004, 2003, and 2002, respectively. Statutory capital and surplus was $1,344.5 and $1,230.7 as of December 31, 2004 and 2003, respectively.
As of December 31, 2004, the Company did not utilize any statutory accounting practices, which are not prescribed by state regulatory authorities that, individually or in the aggregate, materially affect statutory capital and surplus.
Under SOP 03-1, the Company calculates an additional liability ("SOP reserves") for certain guaranteed minimum death benefits ("GMDBs") in order to recognize the expected value of death benefits in excess of the projected account balance over the accumulation period based on total expected assessments.
At December 31, 2004, the Company had reinsurance treaties with six unaffiliated reinsurers and one affiliated reinsurer covering a significant portion of the mortality risks and guaranteed death and living benefits under its variable contracts. The Company remains liable to the extent its reinsurers do not meet their obligations under the reinsurance agreements.