v3.2.0.727
Investments
 6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]  
Investments
Investments

a) Transfers of securities
During April 2015, we transferred securities, considered essential holdings in a diversified portfolio, with a total fair value of $1.9 billion from Fixed maturities available for sale to Fixed maturities held to maturity. These securities, which we have the intent and ability to hold to maturity, were transferred given the growth in ACE’s investment portfolio over the last several years, as well as continued efforts to manage the diversification of our global portfolio. The net unrealized appreciation at the date of the transfer continues to be reported in the carrying value of the transferred investments and is amortized through OCI over the remaining life of the securities using the effective interest method in a manner consistent with the amortization of any premium or discount. This transfer represents a non-cash transaction and does not impact the consolidated statements of cash flows.

b) Fixed maturities
 
June 30, 2015
Amortized
Cost

 
Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation

 
Gross
Unrealized
Depreciation

 
Fair
Value

 
OTTI Recognized
in AOCI

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
 
 
 
 
Available for sale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
2,743

 
$
67

 
$
(5
)
 
$
2,805

 
$
—

Foreign
14,739

 
529

 
(112
)
 
15,156

 
(5
)
Corporate securities
16,515

 
534

 
(171
)
 
16,878

 
(6
)
Mortgage-backed securities
10,607

 
237

 
(60
)
 
10,784

 
(1
)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
2,995

 
97

 
(14
)
 
3,078

 
—

 
$
47,599

 
$
1,464

 
$
(362
)
 
$
48,701

 
$
(12
)
Held to maturity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
743

 
$
16

 
$
(1
)
 
$
758

 
$
—

Foreign
808

 
39

 
(4
)
 
843

 
—

Corporate securities
3,113

 
72

 
(56
)
 
3,129

 
—

Mortgage-backed securities
1,828

 
50

 
(1
)
 
1,877

 
—

States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
2,184

 
32

 
(18
)
 
2,198

 
—

 
$
8,676

 
$
209

 
$
(80
)
 
$
8,805

 
$
—


December 31, 2014
Amortized
Cost

 
Gross
Unrealized
Appreciation

 
Gross
Unrealized
Depreciation

 
Fair
Value

 
OTTI Recognized
in AOCI

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
 
 
 
 
Available for sale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
2,741

 
$
87

 
$
(8
)
 
$
2,820

 
$
—

Foreign
14,703

 
629

 
(90
)
 
15,242

 
—

Corporate securities
16,897

 
704

 
(170
)
 
17,431

 
(7
)
Mortgage-backed securities
10,011

 
304

 
(29
)
 
10,286

 
(1
)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
3,474

 
147

 
(5
)
 
3,616

 
—

 
$
47,826

 
$
1,871

 
$
(302
)
 
$
49,395

 
$
(8
)
Held to maturity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
832

 
$
20

 
$
(2
)
 
$
850

 
$
—

Foreign
916

 
47

 
—

 
963

 
—

Corporate securities
2,323

 
102

 
(2
)
 
2,423

 
—

Mortgage-backed securities
1,983

 
57

 
(1
)
 
2,039

 
—

States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
1,277

 
40

 
(3
)
 
1,314

 
—

 
$
7,331

 
$
266

 
$
(8
)
 
$
7,589

 
$
—


As discussed in Note 3 e), if a credit loss is incurred on an impaired fixed maturity, an OTTI is considered to have occurred and the portion of the impairment not related to credit losses (non-credit OTTI) is recognized in OCI. Included in the “OTTI Recognized in AOCI” columns above are the cumulative amounts of non-credit OTTI recognized in OCI adjusted for subsequent sales, maturities, and redemptions. OTTI recognized in AOCI does not include the impact of subsequent changes in fair value of the related securities. In periods subsequent to a recognition of OTTI in OCI, changes in the fair value of the related fixed maturities are reflected in Unrealized appreciation (depreciation) in the consolidated statement of shareholders’ equity. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, nil and $4 million, respectively, of net unrealized appreciation related to such securities is included in OCI. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, $1 million and $5 million, respectively, of net unrealized appreciation related to such securities is included in OCI. At June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, AOCI included cumulative net unrealized depreciation of $7 million and $3 million, respectively, related to securities remaining in the investment portfolio for which ACE has recognized a non-credit OTTI.

Mortgage-backed securities (MBS) issued by U.S. government agencies are combined with all other to be announced mortgage derivatives held (refer to Note 7 c) (iv)) and are included in the category, “Mortgage-backed securities”. Approximately 80 percent and 83 percent of the total mortgage-backed securities at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, are represented by investments in U.S. government agency bonds. The remainder of the mortgage exposure consists of collateralized mortgage obligations and non-government mortgage-backed securities, the majority of which provide a planned structure for principal and interest payments and carry a rating of AAA by the major credit rating agencies.

The following table presents fixed maturities by contractual maturity:
 
 
 
June 30

 
 
 
December 31

 
 
 
2015

 
 
 
2014

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
Amortized Cost

 
Fair Value

 
Amortized Cost

 
Fair Value

Available for sale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Due in 1 year or less
$
1,906

 
$
1,925

 
$
2,187

 
$
2,206

Due after 1 year through 5 years
16,377

 
16,808

 
15,444

 
15,857

Due after 5 years through 10 years
14,321

 
14,549

 
15,663

 
16,089

Due after 10 years
4,388

 
4,635

 
4,521

 
4,957

 
36,992

 
37,917

 
37,815

 
39,109

Mortgage-backed securities
10,607

 
10,784

 
10,011

 
10,286

 
$
47,599

 
$
48,701

 
$
47,826

 
$
49,395

Held to maturity
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Due in 1 year or less
$
377

 
$
381

 
$
353

 
$
355

Due after 1 year through 5 years
2,589

 
2,685

 
2,603

 
2,693

Due after 5 years through 10 years
2,351

 
2,351

 
1,439

 
1,489

Due after 10 years
1,531

 
1,511

 
953

 
1,013

 
6,848

 
6,928

 
5,348

 
5,550

Mortgage-backed securities
1,828

 
1,877

 
1,983

 
2,039

 
$
8,676

 
$
8,805

 
$
7,331

 
$
7,589



Expected maturities could differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations, with or without call or prepayment penalties. 

c) Equity securities
 
June 30


December 31

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2015


2014

Cost
$
433

 
$
440

Gross unrealized appreciation
77

 
83

Gross unrealized depreciation
(12
)
 
(13
)
Fair value
$
498

 
$
510



d) Investments in partially-owned insurance companies
On March 27, 2015 and April 14, 2015, we paid $70 million and $20 million, respectively, to acquire 11.3 percent of the common equity of ABR Reinsurance Capital Holdings Ltd. and warrants to acquire 0.5 percent of additional equity.  ABR Reinsurance Capital Holdings Ltd., is the parent company of ABR Reinsurance Ltd. (ABR Re), an independent reinsurance company. Through long-term arrangements, ACE will be the sole source of reinsurance risks ceded to ABR Re, and BlackRock, Inc. will be ABR Re’s exclusive investment management service provider. As an investor, ACE is expected to benefit from underwriting profit generated by ABR Re’s reinsuring a wide range of ACE’s primary insurance business and the income and capital appreciation BlackRock, Inc. seeks to deliver through its investment management services. In addition, ACE’s long-term arrangements with BlackRock, Inc. include a fee sharing arrangement in which ACE and BlackRock, Inc. will be entitled to an equal share of the aggregate amount of certain fees, including underwriting and investment management performance related fees.

ABR Re is a variable interest entity; however, ACE is not the primary beneficiary and does not consolidate ABR Re because ACE does not have the power to control and direct ABR Re’s most significant activities, including investing and underwriting. Our minority ownership interest is accounted for under the equity method of accounting. ACE cedes premiums to ABR Re and recognizes the associated commissions. For both the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, ACE ceded reinsurance premiums of $35 million and recognized ceded commissions of $11 million. At June 30, 2015, the amount of Reinsurance recoverable on losses and loss expenses was $5 million and the amount of ceded reinsurance premium payable included in Insurance and reinsurance balances payable in the consolidated balance sheet was $18 million.

e) Net realized gains (losses)
In accordance with guidance related to the recognition and presentation of OTTI, when an impairment related to a fixed maturity has occurred, OTTI is required to be recorded in Net income if management has the intent to sell the security or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before the recovery of its amortized cost. Further, in cases where we do not intend to sell the security and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell the security, ACE must evaluate the security to determine the portion of the impairment, if any, related to credit losses. If a credit loss is incurred, an OTTI is considered to have occurred and any portion of the OTTI related to credit losses must be reflected in Net income while the portion of OTTI related to all other factors is recognized in OCI. For fixed maturities held to maturity, OTTI recognized in OCI is accreted from AOCI to the amortized cost of the fixed maturity prospectively over the remaining term of the securities.

Each quarter, securities in an unrealized loss position (impaired securities), including fixed maturities, securities lending collateral, equity securities, and other investments, are reviewed to identify impaired securities to be specifically evaluated for a potential OTTI.

For all non-fixed maturities, OTTI is evaluated based on the following:

•
the amount of time a security has been in a loss position and the magnitude of the loss position;
•
the period in which cost is expected to be recovered, if at all, based on various criteria including economic conditions and other issuer-specific developments; and
•
ACE’s ability and intent to hold the security to the expected recovery period.

As a general rule, we also consider that equity securities in an unrealized loss position for twelve consecutive months are other than temporarily impaired. For mutual funds included in equity securities in our consolidated balance sheet, we employ analysis similar to fixed maturities, when applicable.

We review each fixed maturity in an unrealized loss position to assess whether the security is a candidate for credit loss. Specifically, we consider credit rating, market price, and issuer-specific financial information, among other factors, to assess the likelihood of collection of all principal and interest as contractually due. Securities for which we determine that credit loss is likely are subjected to further analysis to estimate the credit loss recognized in Net income, if any. In general, credit loss recognized in Net income equals the difference between the security’s amortized cost and the net present value of its projected future cash flows discounted at the effective interest rate implicit in the debt security. All significant assumptions used in determining credit losses are subject to change as market conditions evolve.

Projected cash flows for corporate securities (principally senior unsecured bonds) are driven primarily by assumptions regarding probability of default and also the timing and amount of recoveries associated with defaults. ACE developed projected cash flows for corporate securities using market observable data, issuer-specific information, and credit ratings. We use historical default data by Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) rating category to calculate a 1-in-100 year probability of default, which results in a default assumption in excess of the historical mean default rate. Consistent with management's approach, ACE assumed a 32 percent recovery rate (the par value of a defaulted security that will be recovered) across all rating categories rather than using Moody's historical mean recovery rate of 42 percent. We believe that use of a default assumption in excess of the historical mean is conservative in light of current market conditions.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, credit losses recognized in Net income for corporate securities were $5 million and $9 million, respectively. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 credit losses recognized in Net income for corporate securities were $6 million and $10 million, respectively.

For mortgage-backed securities, credit impairment is assessed using a cash flow model that estimates the cash flows on the underlying mortgages, using the security-specific collateral and transaction structure. The model estimates cash flows from the underlying mortgage loans and distributes those cash flows to various tranches of securities, considering the transaction structure and any subordination and credit enhancements that exist in that structure. The cash flow model incorporates actual cash flows on the mortgage-backed securities through the current period and then projects the remaining cash flows using a number of assumptions, including default rates, prepayment rates, and loss severity rates (the par value of a defaulted security that will not be recovered) on foreclosed properties.

For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015 and 2014, there were no credit losses recognized in Net income for mortgage-backed securities.
The following table presents the Net realized gains (losses) and the losses included in Net realized gains (losses) and OCI as a result of conditions which caused us to conclude the decline in fair value of certain investments was “other-than-temporary”:
 
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
 
 
June 30
 
June 30
 
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2015

 
2014

2015

 
2014

Fixed maturities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
OTTI on fixed maturities, gross
$
(13
)
 
$
(9
)
$
(26
)
 
$
(15
)
OTTI on fixed maturities recognized in OCI (pre-tax)
6

 
1

6

 
2

OTTI on fixed maturities, net
(7
)
 
(8
)
(20
)

(13
)
Gross realized gains excluding OTTI
28

 
54

72

 
90

Gross realized losses excluding OTTI
(16
)
 
(26
)
(51
)
 
(46
)
Total fixed maturities
5

 
20

1


31

Equity securities:
 
 
 
 
 
 
OTTI on equity securities
(1
)
 
(1
)
(1
)
 
(7
)
Gross realized gains excluding OTTI
30

 
2

33

 
4

Gross realized losses excluding OTTI
—

 
—

(2
)
 
(1
)
Total equity securities
29

 
1

30


(4
)
OTTI on other investments
—

 
(3
)
—

 
(3
)
Foreign exchange losses
(40
)
 
(14
)
(71
)
 
(23
)
Investment and embedded derivative instruments
27

 
(15
)
28

 
(40
)
Fair value adjustments on insurance derivative
104

 
2

59

 
(46
)
S&P put options and futures
(2
)
 
(72
)
(14
)
 
(91
)
Other derivative instruments
(1
)
 
9

(1
)
 
7

Other
4

 
(1
)
5

 
(8
)
Net realized gains (losses)
$
126

 
$
(73
)
$
37


$
(177
)

 
The following table presents a roll-forward of pre-tax credit losses related to fixed maturities for which a portion of OTTI was recognized in OCI: 
 
Three Months Ended
 
Six Months Ended
 
 
June 30
 
June 30
 
(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2015

 
2014

2015

 
2014

Balance of credit losses related to securities still held – beginning of period
$
22

 
$
35

$
28

 
$
37

Additions where no OTTI was previously recorded
4

 
5

7

 
7

Additions where an OTTI was previously recorded
1

 
1

2

 
3

Reductions for securities sold during the period
(4
)
 
(17
)
(14
)
 
(23
)
Balance of credit losses related to securities still held – end of period
$
23

 
$
24

$
23


$
24



f) Gross unrealized loss
At June 30, 2015, there were 7,253 fixed maturities out of a total of 26,933 fixed maturities in an unrealized loss position. The largest single unrealized loss in the fixed maturities was $5 million. There were 99 equity securities out of a total of 271 equity securities in an unrealized loss position. The largest single unrealized loss in the equity securities was $1 million. Fixed maturities in an unrealized loss position at June 30, 2015, comprised both investment grade and below investment grade securities for which fair value declined primarily due to widening credit spreads since the date of purchase.

The following tables present, for all securities in an unrealized loss position (including securities on loan), the aggregate fair value and gross unrealized loss by length of time the security has continuously been in an unrealized loss position:
 
0 – 12 Months
 
 
Over 12 Months
 
 
Total
 
June 30, 2015
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

 
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

 
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
693

 
$
(5
)
 
$
137

 
$
(1
)
 
$
830

 
$
(6
)
Foreign
3,867

 
(104
)
 
273

 
(12
)
 
4,140

 
(116
)
Corporate securities
6,361

 
(195
)
 
520

 
(32
)
 
6,881

 
(227
)
Mortgage-backed securities
3,430

 
(46
)
 
495

 
(15
)
 
3,925

 
(61
)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
2,215

 
(30
)
 
87

 
(2
)
 
2,302

 
(32
)
Total fixed maturities
16,566

 
(380
)
 
1,512

 
(62
)
 
18,078

 
(442
)
Equity securities
80

 
(12
)
 
—

 
—

 
80

 
(12
)
Other investments
33

 
(2
)
 
—

 
—

 
33

 
(2
)
Total
$
16,679

 
$
(394
)
 
$
1,512

 
$
(62
)
 
$
18,191

 
$
(456
)
 
 
0 – 12 Months
 
 
Over 12 Months
 
 
Total
 
December 31, 2014
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

 
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

 
Fair Value

 
Gross
Unrealized
Loss

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Treasury and agency
$
350

 
$
(1
)
 
$
666

 
$
(9
)
 
$
1,016

 
$
(10
)
Foreign
2,262

 
(75
)
 
375

 
(15
)
 
2,637

 
(90
)
Corporate securities
4,684

 
(150
)
 
738

 
(22
)
 
5,422

 
(172
)
Mortgage-backed securities
704

 
(2
)
 
1,663

 
(28
)
 
2,367

 
(30
)
States, municipalities, and political subdivisions
458

 
(3
)
 
490

 
(5
)
 
948

 
(8
)
Total fixed maturities
8,458

 
(231
)
 
3,932

 
(79
)
 
12,390

 
(310
)
Equity securities
101

 
(13
)
 
—

 
—

 
101

 
(13
)
Total
$
8,559

 
$
(244
)
 
$
3,932

 
$
(79
)
 
$
12,491

 
$
(323
)


g) Restricted assets
ACE is required to maintain assets on deposit with various regulatory authorities to support its insurance and reinsurance operations. These requirements are generally promulgated in the statutory regulations of the individual jurisdictions. The assets on deposit are available to settle insurance and reinsurance liabilities. ACE is also required to restrict assets pledged under repurchase agreements, which represent ACE's agreement to sell securities and repurchase them at a future date for a predetermined price. We also use trust funds in certain large reinsurance transactions where the trust funds are set up for the benefit of the ceding companies and generally take the place of letter of credit (LOC) requirements. We also have investments in segregated portfolios primarily to provide collateral or guarantees for LOC and derivative transactions. Included in restricted assets at June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, are investments, primarily fixed maturities, totaling $16.5 billion and $16.3 billion, respectively, and cash of $80 million and $117 million, respectively.
The following table presents the components of restricted assets:
 
June 30

 
December 31

(in millions of U.S. dollars)
2015

 
2014

Trust funds
$
11,085

 
$
10,838

Deposits with non-U.S. regulatory authorities
2,263

 
2,305

Assets pledged under repurchase agreements
1,458

 
1,431

Deposits with U.S. regulatory authorities
1,327

 
1,345

Other pledged assets
398

 
457

 
$
16,531

 
$
16,376