Mortality margins in universal life and variable universal life products increased $42.5 million in 2007, reflecting a $65.3 million increase in cost of insurance fees, only partially offset by a $22.8 million increase in benefits. While fluctuations in mortality are inherent in our business, this improvement primarily reflects growth in the block of business over recent years. Fee revenues, net of premium taxes and non-deferrable commissions, increased $17.1 million in 2007. However, non-deferred expenses increased as we invested in new product development and sales growth. In addition, higher mortality margins and increasing inforce blocks created higher amortization expense of $126.2 million in 2007, compared with $92.3 million in 2006.
Each year, we develop future EGPs for the products sold during that year. The EGPs for products sold in a particular year are aggregated into cohorts. Future EGPs are projected for the estimated lives of the contracts. The amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs requires the use of various assumptions, estimates and judgments about the future. The assumptions, in the aggregate, are considered important in the projections of EGPs. The assumptions developed as part of our annual process are based on our current best estimates of future events, which are likely to be different for each year’s cohort. Assumptions considered to be significant in the development of EGPs include separate account fund performance, surrender and lapse rates, interest margin, mortality, premium persistency, funding patterns and expenses. These assumptions are reviewed on a regular basis and are based on our past experience, industry studies, regulatory requirements and estimates about the future.
The separate account fund performance assumption is critical to the development of the EGPs related to our variable annuity and variable life insurance businesses. As equity markets do not move in a systematic manner, we use a mean reversion method (reversion to the mean assumption), a common industry practice, to determine the future equity market growth rate assumption used for the amortization of deferred policy acquisition costs. This practice assumes that the expectation for long-term appreciation is not changed by minor short-term market fluctuations. The average long-term rate of assumed separate account fund performance used in estimating gross profits was 6.0% (after fund fees and mortality and expense charges) for the variable annuity business and 6.9% (after fund fees and mortality and expense charges) for the variable life business at both December 31, 2007 and 2006.
As part of our analysis of separate account returns, we perform two sensitivity tests. If at December 31, 2007 we had used a 100 basis points lower separate account return assumption (after fund fees and mortality and expense charges) for both the variable annuity and the variable life businesses and used our current best estimate assumptions for all other assumptions to project account values forward from the current value to reproject EGPs, the estimated increase to amortization and decrease to net income would be approximately $1,794 thousand, after-tax.
If, instead, at December 31, 2007 we had used a 100 basis points higher separate account return assumption (after fund fees and mortality and expense charges) for both the variable annuity and variable life businesses and used our current best estimate assumptions for all other assumptions to project account values forward from the current value to reproject EGPs, the estimated decrease to amortization and increase to net income would be approximately $1,783 thousand, after-tax.
Investments whose value is considered by us to be other-than-temporarily impaired are written down to fair value as a charge to realized losses included in our earnings. The assessment of whether impairments have occurred is based on management’s case-by-case evaluation of the underlying reasons for the decline in fair value. We consider a wide range of factors about the security issuer and use our best judgment in evaluating the cause of the decline in the estimated fair value of the security and in assessing the prospects for near term recovery. Inherent in our evaluation of the security are assumptions and estimates about the operations of the issuer and its future earnings potential. Considerations we use in the impairment evaluation process include, but are not limited to:
The cost basis of these written-down investments is adjusted to fair value at the date the determination of impairment is made. The new cost basis is not changed for subsequent recoveries in value. For mortgage-backed and other asset-backed debt securities, we recognize income using a constant effective yield based on anticipated prepayments and the estimated economic lives of the securities. When actual prepayments differ significantly from anticipated prepayments, the effective yield is recalculated to reflect actual payments to date and any resulting adjustment is included in net investment income. For certain asset-backed securities, changes in estimated yield are recorded on a prospective basis and specific valuation methods are applied to these securities to determine if there has been an other-than-temporary decline in value.
We have determined, based on our earnings and future income, that it is more likely than not that the deferred income tax assets will be realized. In determining the adequacy of future income, we have considered projected future income, reversal of existing temporary differences and available tax planning strategies and actions that could be implemented, if necessary.
See Note 9 to our financial statements in this Form 10-K for more information.
Our general account debt securities portfolio consists primarily of investment grade publicly traded and privately placed corporate bonds, residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities and asset-backed securities. As of December 31, 2007, our general account debt securities, with a carrying value of $1,709.6 million, represented 98.6% of total general account investments. Public debt securities represented 79.7% of total debt securities, with the remaining 20.3% represented by private debt securities.
Sub-prime mortgage lending refers to the origination of residential mortgage loans to customers with weak or impaired credit profiles, including, but not limited to, those with the lowest credit scores. Alt-A mortgage lending refers to the origination of residential mortgage loans to customers who are rated above the sub-prime category but below top rated prime borrowers, for reasons including, but not limited to, the election not to provide documentation for items such as income sources.
We invest directly in residential mortgage-backed securities through our general account. To the extent these assets deteriorate in credit quality and decline in value, we may realize impairment losses. We have been focused on identifying those securities that can withstand significant increases in delinquencies and foreclosures in the underlying mortgage pools before incurring a loss of principal.
Historically, we have used cash flow from operations and investment activities to fund liquidity requirements. Our principal cash inflows from life insurance and annuities activities come from premiums, annuity deposits and charges on insurance policies and annuity contracts. Principal cash inflows from investment activities result from repayments of principal, proceeds from maturities, sales of invested assets and investment income.
A primary liquidity concern with respect to life insurance and annuity products is the risk of early policyholder and contractholder withdrawal. We closely monitor our liquidity requirements in order to match cash inflows with expected cash outflows, and employ an asset/liability management approach tailored to the specific requirements of each product line, based upon the return objectives, risk tolerance, liquidity, tax and regulatory requirements of the underlying products. In particular, we maintain investment programs intended to provide adequate funds to pay benefits without forced sales of investments. Products having liabilities with relatively long lives, such as life insurance, are matched with assets having similar estimated lives, such as long-term bonds and private placement bonds. Shorter-term liabilities are matched with investments with short-term and medium-term fixed maturities.
Individual life insurance policies, other than term life insurance policies, increase in cash values over their lives. Policyholders have the right to borrow an amount up to a certain percentage of the cash value of their policies at any time. As of December 31, 2007, we had approximately $416,409 thousand in cash values with respect to which policyholders had rights to take policy loans. The majority of cash values eligible for policy loans are at variable interest rates that are reset annually on the policy anniversary. Policy loans at December 31, 2007 were $21,605 thousand.
Future obligations are based on our estimate of future investment earnings, mortality, surrenders and applicable policyholder dividends. Actual obligations in any single year, or ultimate total obligations, may vary materially from these estimates as actual experience emerges. As described in Note 2 to our financial statements in this Form 10-K, policy liabilities and accruals are recorded on the balance sheet in amounts adequate to meet the estimated future obligations of the policies in force. The policyholder obligations reflected in the table above exceed the policy liabilities, policyholder deposit fund liabilities and separate account liabilities reported on our December 31, 2007 balance sheet because the above amounts do not reflect future investment earnings and future premiums and deposits on those policies. Separate account obligations will be funded by the cash flows from separate account assets, while the remaining obligations will be funded by cash flows from investment earnings on general account assets and premiums and deposits on contracts in force.
As of December 31, 2007, we did not have any significant off-balance sheet arrangements as defined by Item 303(a)(4)(ii) of SEC Regulation S-K.
Connecticut Insurance Law requires that Connecticut life insurers report their risk-based capital. Risk-based capital is based on a formula calculated by applying factors to various asset, premium and statutory reserve items. The formula takes into account the risk characteristics of the insurer, including asset risk, insurance risk, interest rate risk and business risk. The Connecticut Insurance Department has regulatory authority to require various actions by, or take various actions against, insurers whose Total Adjusted Capital (capital and surplus plus AVR) does not exceed certain risk-based capital levels.
At December 31, 2007, our Total Adjusted Capital level was in excess of 350% of Company Action Level. PNX management is committed to maintaining appropriate capital levels for the Company to conduct business.