Significant Accounting Policies and Pronouncements (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2021

The Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“U.S. GAAP”) on a basis consistent with reporting interim financial information in accordance with instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Unaudited Interim Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of Prudential Financial, entities over which the Company exercises control, including majority-owned subsidiaries and minority-owned entities such as limited partnerships in which the Company is the general partner and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) in which the Company is considered the primary beneficiary. See Note 4 for additional information on the Company’s consolidated variable interest entities. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.

In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the financial position and results of operations have been made. All such adjustments are of a normal, recurring nature. Interim results are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

The most significant estimates include those used in determining deferred policy acquisition costs (“DAC”) and related amortization; policyholders’ account balances related to the fair value of embedded derivative instruments associated with the index-linked features of certain universal life and annuity products; value of business acquired (“VOBA”) and its amortization; amortization of deferred sales inducements (“DSI”); measurement of goodwill and any related impairment; valuation of investments including derivatives, measurement of allowance for credit losses, and the recognition of other-than-temporary impairments (“OTTI”); future policy benefits including guarantees; pension and other postretirement benefits; provision for income taxes and valuation of deferred tax assets; and accruals for contingent liabilities, including estimates for losses in connection with unresolved legal and regulatory matters.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

Future Adoption Of New Accounting Pronouncements

ASU issued but not yet adopted as of March 31, 2021 — ASU 2018-12

ASU 2018-12, Financial Services—Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts, was issued by the FASB on August 15, 2018 and is expected to have a significant impact on the Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In October 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-09, Financial Services - Insurance (Topic 944): Effective Date to affirm its decision to defer the effective date of ASU 2018-12 to January 1, 2022 (with early adoption permitted), representing a one year extension from the original effective date of January 1, 2021. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in November 2020 the FASB issued ASU 2020-11, Financial Services—Insurance (Topic 944): Effective Date and Early Application to defer for an additional one year the effective date of ASU 2018-12 from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023, and to provide transition relief to facilitate the early adoption of the ASU. The transition relief would allow large calendar-year public companies that early adopt ASU 2018-12 to apply the guidance either as of January 1, 2020 or January 1, 2021 (and record transition adjustments as of January 1, 2020 or January 1, 2021, respectively) in the 2022 financial statements. Companies that do not early adopt ASU 2018-12 would apply the guidance as of January 1, 2021 (and record transition adjustments as of January 1, 2021) in the 2023 financial statements. The Company currently intends to adopt ASU 2018-12 effective January 1, 2023. ASU 2018-12 will impact, at least to some extent, the accounting and disclosure requirements for all long-duration insurance and investment contracts issued by the Company. Outlined below are four key areas of change, although there are other less significant changes not noted below. In addition to the impacts to the balance sheet upon transition, the Company also expects an impact to the pattern of earnings emergence following the transition date.

ASU 2018-12 Amended Topic

Description

Method of adoption

Effect on the financial statements or other significant matters

Cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits for non-participating traditional and limited-pay insurance products

Requires an entity to review and, if necessary, update the cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits, for both changes in future assumptions and actual experience, at least annually using a retrospective update method with a cumulative catch-up adjustment recorded in a separate line item in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

An entity may choose one of two adoption methods for the liability for future policy benefits: (1) a modified retrospective transition method whereby the entity may choose to apply the amendments to contracts in force as of the beginning of the prior year (if early adoption is elected) or as of the beginning of the earliest period presented on the basis of their existing carrying amounts, adjusted for the removal of any related amounts in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) or (2) a full retrospective transition method.

The options for method of adoption and the impacts of such methods are under assessment.

Discount rate assumption used to measure the liability for future policy benefits for non-participating traditional and limited-pay insurance products

Requires discount rate assumptions to be based on an upper-medium grade fixed income instrument yield, which will be updated each quarter with the impact recorded through OCI. An entity shall maximize the use of relevant observable information and minimize the use of unobservable information in determining the discount rate assumptions.

As noted above, an entity may choose either a modified retrospective transition method or full retrospective transition method for the liability for future policy benefits. Under either method, for balance sheet remeasurement purposes, the liability for future policy benefits will be remeasured using current discount rates as of either the beginning of the prior year (if early adoption is elected) or the beginning of the earliest period presented with the impact recorded as a cumulative effect adjustment to AOCI.

Upon adoption, under either transition method, there will be an adjustment to AOCI as a result of remeasuring in-force contract liabilities using current upper-medium grade fixed income instrument yields. The adjustment upon adoption will largely reflect the difference between discount rates locked-in at contract inception versus current discount rates at transition. The magnitude of such adjustment is currently being assessed.

Amortization of deferred acquisition costs (DAC) and other balances

Requires DAC and other balances, such as unearned revenue reserves and DSI, to be amortized on a constant level basis over the expected term of the related contract, independent of expected profitability.

An entity may apply one of two adoption methods: (1) a modified retrospective transition method whereby the entity may choose to apply the amendments to contracts in force as of the beginning of the prior year (if early adoption is elected) or as of the beginning of the earliest period presented on the basis of their existing carrying amounts, adjusted for the removal of any related amounts in AOCI or (2) if an entity chooses a full retrospective transition method for its liability for future policy benefits, as described above, it is required to also use a full retrospective transition method for DAC and other balances.

The options for method of adoption and the impacts of such methods are under assessment. Under the modified retrospective transition method, the Company would not expect a significant impact to the balance sheet, other than the impact of the removal of any related amounts in AOCI.

Market Risk Benefits (“MRB”)

Requires an entity to measure all market risk benefits (e.g., living benefit and death benefit guarantees associated with variable annuities) at fair value, and record MRB assets and liabilities separately on the Consolidated Statements of Financial Position. Changes in fair value of market risk benefits are recorded in net income, except for the portion of the change in MRB liabilities attributable to changes in an entity’s non-performance risk (“NPR”), which is recognized in OCI.

An entity shall adopt the guidance for market risk benefits using the retrospective transition method, which includes a cumulative effect adjustment on the balance sheet as of either the beginning of prior year (if early adoption is elected) or the beginning of the earliest period presented. An entity shall maximize the use of relevant observable information and minimize the use of unobservable information in determining the balance of the market risk benefits upon adoption.

Upon adoption, the Company expects an impact to retained earnings for the difference between the fair value and carrying value of benefits not currently measured at fair value (e.g., guaranteed minimum death benefits on variable annuities) and an impact from reclassifying the cumulative effect of changes in NPR from retained earnings to AOCI. The magnitude of such adjustments is currently being assessed.