unlock the capital supporting, and value embedded in, non-core product lines.
Asset-intensive Reinsurance and Other Products. The Company intends to continue leveraging its existing client relationships and reinsurance expertise to create customized reinsurance products and solutions. Industry trends, particularly the increased pace of consolidation and reorganization among life insurance companies and changes in products and product distribution, are expected to enhance existing opportunities for asset-intensive reinsurance and other products. The Company began reinsuring annuities with guaranteed minimum benefits on a limited basis in 2007. To date, most of the Company’s asset-intensive reinsurance business has been written in the U.S.; however, the Company believes opportunities outside of the U.S. may further develop in the near future, particularly expanding its operations in Japan. The Company also provides longevity reinsurance in the UK and Canada, and in 2008 entered the U.S. healthcare reinsurance market with a primary focus on long-term care and Medicare supplement insurance. In 2010, the Company expanded into the group reinsurance market in North America with the acquisition of Reliastar Life Insurance Company’s U.S. and Canada operations.
Consolidated net income decreased $213.1 million, or 33.7%, and increased $85.8 million, or 15.7%, in 2013 and 2012, respectively. Diluted earnings per share on net income were $5.78 in 2013 compared to $8.52 in 2012 and $7.37 in 2011. The decrease in net income in 2013 is primarily due to a significant loss in the Asia Pacific segment and a decrease in investment related gains partially offset by higher investment income and the recognition in other revenues of gains on the repurchase of collateral finance facility securities of $46.5 million. The loss in the Asia Pacific segment reflects an increase in Australian group claims liabilities primarily related to total and permanent disability coverage and disability income benefits as well as poor claims experience in the Australian operation’s individual lump sum and individual disability businesses, primarily in the second quarter of 2013. The decrease in investment related gains was primarily due to a decrease in net hedging gains related to the liabilities associated with guaranteed minimum living benefits.
The Company primarily invests in fixed maturity securities, mortgage loans, short-term investments, and other invested assets. For investments reported at fair value, the Company utilizes, when available, fair values based on quoted prices in active markets that are regularly and readily obtainable. Generally, these are very liquid investments and the valuation does not require management judgment. When quoted prices in active markets are not available, fair value is based on market valuation techniques, market comparable pricing and the income approach. The Company may utilize information from third parties, such as pricing services and brokers, to assist in determining the fair value for certain investments; however, management is ultimately responsible for all fair values presented in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. This includes responsibility for monitoring the fair value process, ensuring objective and reliable valuation practices and pricing of financial instruments, and approving changes to valuation methodologies and pricing sources. The selection of the valuation technique(s) to apply considers the definition of an exit price and the nature of the investment being valued and significant expertise and judgment is required.
In 2013, the change in fair value of the embedded derivative increased revenues by $68.3 million and related deferred acquisition expenses increased benefits and expenses by $41.1 million, for a positive pre-tax income impact of $27.2 million,
A portion of the net premiums for the segment, in each period presented, relates to reinsurance of critical illness coverage, primarily in the UK. This coverage provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness. Net premiums earned from this coverage totaled $255.5 million, $248.6 million and $244.8 million in 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
The Company uses various internal and third-party reinsurance arrangements and funding sources to manage statutory reserve strain, including reserves associated with Regulation XXX, and collateral requirements. Assets in trust and letters of credit are often used as collateral in these arrangements. See “Assets in Trust” and “Letters of Credit” below for more information.
Additional sources of liquidity to meet unexpected cash outflows in excess of operating cash inflows and current cash and equivalents on hand include selling short-term investments or fixed maturity securities and drawing funds under a revolving credit facility, under which the Company had availability of $782.4 million as of December 31, 2013. The Company also has $599.1 million of funds available through collateralized borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (“FHLB”).
The tables below show the Company’s exposure to fixed maturity and equity securities, based on the security’s country of issuance, from Europe’s peripheral region and Cyprus as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 (dollars in thousands):
generally considered investment grade (BBB or higher rating agency designation). NAIC designations in classes 3 through 6 are generally considered below investment grade (BB or lower rating agency designation).
The quality of the Company’s available-for-sale fixed maturity securities portfolio, as measured at fair value and by the percentage of fixed maturity securities invested in various ratings categories, relative to the entire available-for-sale fixed maturity security portfolio, at December 31, 2013 and 2012 was as follows (dollars in thousands):
and equity securities at December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively, where the estimated fair value had declined and remained below amortized cost by less than 20% or more than 20%.
Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (“RGA”) is an insurance holding company that was formed on December 31, 1992. The consolidated financial statements include the assets, liabilities, and results of operations of RGA, RGA Reinsurance Company (“RGA Reinsurance”), Reinsurance Company of Missouri, Incorporated (“RCM”), RGA Reinsurance Company (Barbados) Ltd. (“RGA Barbados”), RGA Americas Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Americas”), RGA Atlantic Reinsurance Company, Ltd. (“RGA Atlantic”), RGA Life Reinsurance Company of Canada (“RGA Canada”), RGA Reinsurance Company of Australia, Limited (“RGA Australia”) and RGA International Reinsurance Company (“RGA International”) as well as other subsidiaries, all of which are wholly owned (collectively, the “Company”).
The Company establishes future policy benefits for guaranteed minimum death benefits (“GMDB”) relating to the reinsurance of certain variable annuity contracts by estimating the expected value of death benefits in excess of the projected account balance and recognizing the excess proportionally over the accumulation period based on total expected assessments. The Company regularly evaluates estimates used and adjusts the additional liability balance, with a related charge or credit to claims and other policy benefits, if actual experience or other evidence suggests that earlier assumptions should be revised. The assumptions used in estimating the GMDB liabilities are consistent with those used for amortizing DAC, and are thus subject to the same variability and risk. The Company’s GMDB liabilities at December 31, 2013 and 2012 were not material.
In December 2011, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Balance Sheet as it relates to the disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. The amendment requires disclosures about the Company’s rights of offset and related arrangements associated with its financial instruments and derivative instruments. This amendment also requires the disclosure of both gross and net information about both instruments and transactions eligible for offset in the balance sheet and instruments and transactions subject to an agreement similar to a master netting arrangement. In January 2013, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Balance Sheet as it relates to the disclosures about offsetting assets and liabilities. This amendment clarifies that the scope of the Balance Sheet amendment made in December 2011 applies only to derivatives, including bifurcated embedded derivatives, repurchase and reverse repurchase agreements, and securities borrowing and lending transactions that are either offset or subject to an enforceable master netting agreement or a similar agreement. These amendments are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. The Company adopted these amendments and the required disclosures are provided in Note 5 - “Derivative Instruments”.
In July 2013, the FASB amended the general accounting principles for Income Taxes as it relates to the presentation of an unrecognized tax benefit when a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward exists. This amendment clarifies that an unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset for a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward. However, to the extent a net operating loss carryforward, a similar tax loss, or a tax credit carryforward is not available to settle any additional income taxes that would result from the disallowance of a tax position or the tax law of the applicable jurisdiction does not require the entity to use, and the entity does not intend to use, the deferred tax asset for such purpose, the unrecognized tax benefit should be presented in the financial statements as a liability and not combined with deferred tax assets. These amendments are effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2013. The adoption of this amendment is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
The Company received fixed maturity securities as collateral from derivative and reinsurance counterparties with an estimated fair value of $94.1 million and $95.6 million, as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, respectively. The collateral is held in separate custodial accounts and is not recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. Subject to certain constraints, the Company is permitted by contract to sell or re-pledge this collateral; however, as of December 31, 2013 and 2012, none of the collateral had been sold or re-pledged.
Information regarding the portion of the Company’s mortgage loans that were impaired as of December 31, 2013 and 2012 is as follows (dollars in thousands):
The Company’s average investment balance of impaired mortgage loans and the related interest income are reflected in the table below for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 (dollars in thousands):
into Level 3 are due to a lack of observable market transactions and price information. Financial instruments are transferred out of Level 3 when circumstances change such that significant inputs can be corroborated with market observable data. This may be due to a significant increase in market activity for the financial instrument, a specific event, or one or more significant input(s) becoming observable. Transfers out of Level 3 were primarily the result of the Company using observable pricing information or a third party pricing quotation that appropriately reflects the fair value of those financial instruments, without the need for adjustment based on the Company’s own assumptions regarding the characteristics of a specific financial instrument or the current liquidity in the market. In addition, certain transfers out of Level 3 were also due to increased observations of market transactions and price information for those financial instruments.
The tables below provide a summary of the changes in fair value of Level 3 assets and liabilities for the year ended December 31, 2013, as well as the portion of gains or losses included in income for the year ended December 31, 2013 attributable to unrealized gains or losses related to those assets and liabilities still held at December 31, 2013 (dollars in thousands):
The provision for income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011 consists of the following (dollars in thousands):
The estimated net loss and prior service cost for the defined benefit pension plans and post-retirement plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year are $1.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively.