Addressing the matter involved performing procedures and evaluating audit evidence in connection with forming our overall opinion on the consolidated financial statements. These procedures included testing the effectiveness of controls relating to the Company’s valuation of certain guarantees on variable annuity and certain life insurance policies accounted for as insurance liabilities, including controls over management’s development of the significant assumptions. These procedures also included, among others, evaluating and testing management’s process for developing the estimate of certain guarantees on variable annuity and certain life insurance policies accounted for as insurance liabilities, testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data used by management and testing that assumptions are accurately reflected in the models. Evaluating and testing management’s process also included the involvement of professionals with specialized skill and knowledge to assist in (i) evaluating the reasonableness of the significant assumptions related to customer asset value growth rates, persistency, benefit utilization and investment margins, and (ii) evaluating the appropriateness of management’s models.
The Company adopted accounting standard, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, on January 1, 2020. The significant accounting policies for Available-for-Sale Securities, Financing Receivables, and Reinsurance were updated as a result of adopting the new accounting standard.
For each of its reinsurance agreements, the Company determines whether the agreement provides indemnification against loss or liability related to insurance risk in accordance with applicable accounting standards. If the Company determines that a reinsurance agreement does not expose the reinsurer to a reasonable possibility of a significant loss from insurance risk, the Company records the agreement using the deposit method of accounting. Reinsurance deposits made are included in receivables. As amounts are received, consistent with the underlying contracts, the deposit receivable is adjusted. The deposit receivable is accreted using the interest method and the accretion is reported in other revenues.
The allowance for credit losses for commercial mortgage loans and syndicated loans utilizes a probability of default and loss severity approach to estimate lifetime expected credit losses. Actual historical default and loss severity data for each type of commercial loan is adjusted for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts of future economic conditions to develop the probability of default and loss severity assumptions that are applied to the amortized cost basis of the loans over the expected life of each portfolio. The allowance for credit losses on commercial mortgage loans and syndicated loans is recorded through provisions charged to net realized investment gains (losses) and is reduced/increased by net charge-offs/recoveries.
Charge-offs are recorded when the Company concludes that all or a portion of the commercial mortgage loan or syndicated loan is uncollectible. Factors used by the Company to determine whether all amounts due on commercial mortgage loans will be collected, include but are not limited to, the financial condition of the borrower, performance of the underlying properties, collateral and/or guarantees on the loan, and the borrower’s estimated future ability to pay based on property type and geographic location. Factors used by the Company to determine whether all amounts due on syndicated loans will be collected, include but are not limited to the borrower’s financial condition, industry outlook, and internal risk ratings based on rating agency data and internal analyst expectations.
In March 2017, the FASB updated the accounting standards to shorten the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. Under previous guidance, premiums were generally amortized over the contractual life of the security.
•The discount rate used to measure the liability for future policy benefits will be standardized. The current requirement to use a discount rate reflecting expected investment yields will change to an upper-medium grade (low credit risk) fixed income corporate instrument yield (generally interpreted as an “A” rating) reflecting the duration characteristics of the liability. Entities will be required to update the discount rate at each reporting date with the effect of discount rate changes reflected in OCI.
The following tables present the balances of assets and liabilities held by consolidated investment entities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:
As of December 31, 2020 and 2019, investment securities with a fair value of $2.9 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively, were pledged to meet contractual obligations under derivative contracts and short-term borrowings, of which $454 million and $576 million, respectively, may be sold, pledged or rehypothecated by the counterparty.
•Ratchet - provides that the value ratchets up to the maximum account value at specified anniversary intervals, plus subsequent purchase payments less adjusted partial surrenders.
Freestanding derivative instruments are reflected in other assets and other liabilities. Cash collateral pledged by the Company is reflected in other assets and cash collateral accepted by the Company is reflected in other liabilities. Repurchase agreements are reflected in short-term borrowings. See Note 17 for additional disclosures related to the Company’s derivative instruments and Note 12 for additional disclosures related to the Company’s repurchase agreements.
The Company files income tax returns as part of its inclusion in the consolidated federal income tax returns of Ameriprise Financial in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and various state jurisdictions. The federal statute of limitations are closed on years through 2015, except for one issue for 2014 and 2015 which was claimed on amended returns. The IRS is currently auditing Ameriprise Financial’s U.S. income tax returns for 2016, 2017 and 2018. Ameriprise Financial’s or the Company’s state income tax returns are currently under examination by various jurisdictions for years ranging from 2010 through 2019.