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Summary of Accounting Policies and Accounting Changes | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2021
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Summary of Accounting Policies and Accounting Changes | SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES Investments Investments in Fixed Maturities include bonds, notes and redeemable preferred stocks. Investments in Fixed Maturities are classified as available for sale and reported at fair value. Net Investment Income, including amortization of purchased premiums and accretion of market discounts, on Investments in Fixed Maturities is recognized as interest over the period that it is earned using the effective yield method. Unrealized appreciation or depreciation, net of applicable deferred income taxes, on fixed maturities classified as available for sale is reported in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“AOCI”) included in Shareholders’ Equity. Investments in Convertible Securities include fixed maturities with equity conversion features. The Company has elected the fair value option method of accounting for investments in Convertible Securities and records Convertible Securities at fair value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Changes in fair value of Convertible Securities are recorded in the Consolidated Statements of Income during the period such changes occur. Equity investments include common stocks, non-redeemable preferred stocks, exchange traded funds, money market mutual funds and limited liability companies and investment partnerships in which the Company’s interests are deemed minor. Equity investments with readily determinable fair values are recorded as Equity Securities at Fair Value on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The changes in the fair value of such equity securities are reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Dividend income on investments in common and non-redeemable preferred stocks is recognized on the ex-dividend date. The Company holds certain equity investments without readily determinable fair values at cost, less impairment, if any, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or similar investment of the same issuer on the Consolidated Balance Sheets as Equity Securities at Modified Cost. Changes in the carrying value of Modified Cost investments due to observable price changes are recorded as Income (Loss) from Change in Fair Value of Equity and Convertible Securities. Equity Method Limited Liability Investments include investments in limited liability investment companies and limited partnerships in which the Company’s interests are not deemed minor and are accounted for under the equity method of accounting whereby changes in net asset values are recorded in Net Investment Income in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Certain partnerships for which results are not available on a timely basis are reported on a lag. Investments in Alternative Energy Partnerships are measured using the “HLBV” method of equity method accounting whereby changes in the estimated amount the Company would receive upon the liquidation and distribution of the equity investment’s net assets, are recorded in Net Investment Income. Tax credits allocated from investments in Alternative Energy Partnerships are recognized using the flow-through method, where credits are recorded as a reduction to tax expense in the period earned. Differences in the basis calculated under tax law and U.S. GAAP are recognized using the income statement approach, where basis differences are recorded to Income Tax Expense immediately, rather than deferred as adjustments to the carrying value of the asset. Certain partnerships for which results are not available on a timely basis are reported on a lag. Short-term Investments include certificates of deposit and other fixed maturities that mature within one year from the date of purchase, U.S. Treasury bills, money market mutual funds and overnight interest-bearing accounts. Short-term Investments are reported at cost, which approximates fair value. Other Investments primarily include COLI, loans to policyholders, real estate and mortgage loans. COLI is reported at cash surrender value with changes due to cost of insurance and investment experience reported in Net Investment Income in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Loans to policyholders are carried at unpaid principal balance. Real estate is carried at cost, net of accumulated depreciation. Real estate is depreciated over the estimated useful life of the asset using the straight-line method of depreciation. Real estate is evaluated for impairment when events or circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. An impairment loss on real estate is recognized when the carrying value exceeds the sum of undiscounted projected future cash flows as well as the fair value, or, in the case of a property classified as held for sale, when the carrying value exceeds the fair value, net of costs to sell. Mortgage loans are carried at amortized cost, net of a reserve for expected credit losses as applicable. The following accounting policy has been updated effective January 1, 2020 to reflect the Company's adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments as described above. NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES (Continued) Investments in Fixed Maturities - Allowance for Expected Credit Losses For fixed maturity investments that the Company intends to sell or for which it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell before an anticipated recovery of value, the full amount of the impairment is reported in Impairment Losses. The Company writes down the investment’s amortized cost to its fair value, and will not adjust for any subsequent recoveries. For fixed maturity investments that the Company does not intend to sell or for which it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell before an anticipated recovery of value, the Company will evaluate whether a decline in fair value below the amortized cost basis has occurred from a credit loss or other factors (non-credit related). Considerations in the credit loss assessment include (1) extent to which the fair value has been less than amortized cost, (2) conditions related to the security, an industry, or a geographic area, (3) payment structure of the investment and the likelihood of the issuer's ability to make contractual cash flows, (4) defaults or other collectability concerns related to the issuer, (5) changes in the ratings assigned by a rating agency and (6) other credit enhancements that affect the investment’s expected performance. Any increase or decrease in the expected allowance for credit losses related to investments is recognized in Impairment Losses. The expected allowance for credit losses is limited by the amount that the fair value is less than the amortized cost basis and is adjusted for any additional expected credit losses or subsequent recoveries. The amortized cost basis of the investment is not adjusted for the expected allowance for credit loss. The impairment related to other factors (non-credit related) is reported in Other Comprehensive Income, net of applicable taxes. The Company reports accrued investment income separately for available-for-sale fixed maturity securities and has elected not to measure an allowance for credit losses on accrued investment income. Accrued investment income is written off through Impairment Losses at the time the issuer of the bond defaults or is expected to default on interest payments. Fair Value Measurements The Company uses a hierarchical framework which prioritizes and ranks the market observability of inputs used in fair value measurements. Market price observability is affected by a number of factors, including the type of asset or liability and the characteristics specific to the asset or liability being measured. Assets and liabilities with readily available, active, quoted market prices or for which fair value can be measured from actively quoted prices generally are deemed to have a higher degree of market price observability and a lesser degree of judgment used in measuring fair value. The Company classifies the inputs used to measure fair value into one of three levels as follows: •Level 1 — Quoted prices in an active market for identical assets or liabilities; •Level 2 — Observable inputs other than Level 1, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets and liabilities in markets that are not active, and model-derived prices whose inputs are observable or whose significant value drivers are observable; and •Level 3 — Significant unobservable inputs for the asset or liability being measured. Observable inputs are based on market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs are based on the Company’s market assumptions. Unobservable inputs require significant management judgment or estimation. In some cases, the inputs used to measure an asset or liability may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In those cases, the fair value measurement is categorized in its entirety in the same level of the fair value hierarchy as the lowest level of input that is significant to the entire measurement. Such determination requires significant management judgment. Deferred Policy Acquisition Costs Costs directly associated with the successful acquisition of business, principally commissions and certain premium taxes and policy issuance costs, are deferred. Costs deferred on property and casualty insurance contracts and short duration health insurance contracts are amortized over the period in which premiums are earned. Costs deferred on traditional life insurance products and other long-duration insurance contracts are primarily amortized over the anticipated premium-paying period of the related policies in proportion to the ratio of the annual premiums to the total premiums anticipated, which is estimated using the same assumptions used in calculating policy reserves. NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES (Continued) Goodwill The cost of an acquired entity over the fair value of net assets acquired is reported as Goodwill. Goodwill is not amortized, but rather is tested for recoverability annually or when certain triggering events require testing. Insurance Reserves Reserves for losses and LAE on property and casualty insurance coverage and health insurance coverage represent the estimated claim cost and loss adjustment expense necessary to cover the ultimate net cost of investigating and settling all losses incurred and unpaid at the end of any given accounting period. Such estimates are based on individual case estimates for reported claims and estimates for incurred but not reported (“IBNR”) losses, including expected development on reported claims. These estimates are adjusted in the aggregate for ultimate loss expectations based on historical experience patterns and current economic trends, with any change in the estimated ultimate liabilities being reported in the Consolidated Statements of Income in the period of change. Changes in such estimates may be material. For traditional life insurance products, the reserves for future policy benefits are estimated on the net level premium method using assumptions as of the issue date for mortality, interest, policy lapses and expenses, including provisions for adverse deviations. These assumptions vary by such characteristics as plan, age at issue and policy duration. Mortality assumptions are based on the Company’s historical experience and industry standards. Interest rate assumptions principally range from 3% to 7%. Lapse rate assumptions are based on actual and industry experience. Insurance Reserves for life insurance products are comprised of reserves for future policy benefits plus an estimate of the Company’s liability for unpaid life insurance claims and claims adjustment expenses, which includes an estimate for IBNR life insurance claims. Prior to 2016, except when required by applicable law, the Company did not utilize the database of reported deaths maintained by the Social Security Administration or any other comparable database (a “Death Master File” or “DMF”) in its operations, including to determine its IBNR liability for life insurance products. Instead of using such a database, the Company calculated its IBNR liability for life insurance products using Company-specific historical information, which included analyzing average paid claims and the average lag between date of death and the date reported to the Company for claims for which proof of death had been provided. In 2016, the Company initiated a voluntary enhancement of its claims handling procedures for its life insurance policies. The Company is now utilizing a DMF to identify potential situations where the Company has yet to be notified of an insured’s death and, as appropriate, initiating an outreach process to identify and contact beneficiaries and settle claims. Policyholder Obligations Policyholder Obligations include Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) funding agreements used for spread lending purposes and universal life-type policyholder contracts and are stated at account balances. The following accounting policy has been updated effective January 1, 2020 to reflect the Company's adoption of ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments as described below. Receivables from Policyholders - Allowance for Expected Credit Losses The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the receivables from policyholders based on the net amount expected to be collected on the insurance contract. Receivables from policyholders are charged off against the allowance when management believes the uncollectability of the receivable is confirmed. Expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off. Management estimates the allowance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, related to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience on the receivables from policyholders provide the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current environmental conditions, primarily unemployment rates that could impact an insured’s ability to pay premiums. NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES (Continued) Other Receivables Other Receivables primarily include reinsurance recoverables and accrued investment income. Reinsurance Recoverables were $41.9 million and $50.1 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Accrued Investment Income was $79.6 million and $77.1 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Other Assets Other Assets primarily include property and equipment, internal use software, right-of-use assets, insurance licenses acquired in business combinations, the value of other intangible assets acquired and prepaid expenses. Property and equipment is depreciated over the useful lives of the assets, generally using the straight-line or double declining balance methods of depreciation depending on the asset involved. Internal use software is amortized over the useful life of the asset using the straight-line method of amortization and is evaluated for recoverability upon identification of impairment indications. Insurance licenses acquired in business combinations and other indefinite life intangibles are not amortized, but rather tested periodically for recoverability. The Company accounts for the value of business acquired (“VOBA”) based on actuarial estimates of the present value of future cash flows embedded in insurance in force as of an acquisition date. VOBA was $19.0 million and $20.3 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. VOBA is amortized over the expected profit emergence period of the policies in force as of the acquisition date. The Company evaluates VOBA assets for recoverability annually. The Company accounts for the future profits embedded in customer relationships (“Customer Relationships”) acquired based on the present value of estimated future cash flows from such relationships. Customer Relationships was $5.7 million and $3.4 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the relationship. Customer Relationships are tested for recoverability using undiscounted projections of future cash flows and written down to estimated fair value if the carrying value exceeds the sum of such projections of undiscounted cash flows. The Company accounts for the present value of the future profits embedded in broker or agent relationships acquired (“Agent Relationships”) based on the present value of estimated future cash flows from such acquired relationships or, using the cost recovery method, which estimates the ultimate cost to build a comparable distribution network. Agent Relationships was $58.0 million and $57.6 million at December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, and are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the relationship. Agent Relationships are tested for recoverability using undiscounted projections of future cash flows and written down to estimated fair value if the carrying value exceeds the sum of such projections of undiscounted cash flows. Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities Accrued Expenses and Other Liabilities primarily include drafts payable, accrued salaries and commissions, pension benefits, postretirement medical benefits, lease liability and accrued taxes, licenses and fees. Recognition of Earned Premiums and Related Expenses Property and casualty insurance and short duration health insurance premiums are deferred when written and recognized and earned ratably over the periods to which the premiums relate. Unearned Premiums represent the portion of the premiums written related to the unexpired portion of policies in force which has been deferred and is reported as a liability. The Company performs a premium deficiency analysis typically at a segment level, namely Specialty Property & Casualty Insurance and Preferred Property & Casualty Insurance, which is consistent with the manner in which the Company acquires and services policies and measures profitability. Anticipated investment income is excluded from such analysis. A premium deficiency is recognized when the sum of expected claim costs, claim adjustment expenses, unamortized deferred policy acquisition costs and maintenance costs exceeds the related unearned premiums by first reducing related deferred policy acquisition costs to an amount, but not below zero, at which the premium deficiency would not exist. If a premium deficiency remains after first reducing deferred policy acquisition costs, a premium deficiency reserve is established and reported as a liability in the Company’s financial statements. Traditional life insurance premiums are recognized as revenue when due. Policyholders’ benefits are associated with related premiums to result in recognition of profits over the periods for which the benefits are provided using the net level premium method. NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES (Continued) Policyholders’ Benefits and Incurred Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses include provisions for future policy benefits under life and certain accident and health insurance contracts and provisions for reported claims, estimates for IBNR claims and loss adjustment expenses. Benefit payments in excess of policy account balances are expensed. Reinsurance In the normal course of business, Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries reinsure certain risks above certain retention levels with other insurance enterprises. These reinsurance agreements do not relieve Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries of their legal obligations to the policyholder. Amounts recoverable from reinsurers are included in Other Receivables. Gains related to long-duration reinsurance contracts are deferred and amortized over the life of the underlying reinsured policies. Losses related to long-duration reinsurance contracts are recognized immediately. Any gain or loss associated with reinsurance agreements for which Kemper’s insurance subsidiaries have been legally relieved of their obligations to the policyholder is recognized in the period of relief. Income Taxes Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the estimated future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred income tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. A valuation allowance, if any, is maintained for the portion of deferred income tax assets that the Company does not expect to recover. Increases, if any, in the valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets are recognized as income tax expense. Decreases, if any, in the valuation allowance for deferred income tax assets are generally recognized as income tax benefit. The effect on deferred income tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax law including a change in tax rates is recognized in income from operations in the period in which the change is enacted. The Company reports a liability for unrecognized tax benefits, if any, resulting from uncertain tax positions taken, or expected to be taken, in an income tax return, if any. The Company recognizes interest and penalties, if any, related to unrecognized tax benefits in income tax expense. Adoption of New Accounting Guidance Guidance Adopted in 2021 In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. ASU 2019-12 is intended to simplify accounting for income taxes by eliminating certain exceptions to the guidance in ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes, related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period, and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. ASU 2019-12 also simplifies aspects of the accounting for franchise taxes and enacted changes in tax laws or rates and clarifies the accounting for transactions that result in a step-up in the tax basis of goodwill. Further, ASU 2019-12 clarifies that single-member limited liability companies and similar disregarded entities that are not subject to income tax are not required to recognize an allocation of consolidated income tax expense in their separate financial statements, but they could elect to do so. ASU 2019-12 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of ASU 2019-12 did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In January 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-01, Investments—Equity Securities (Topic 321), Investments—Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323), and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Clarifying the Interactions between Topic 321, Topic 323, and Topic 815 (a consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues), which clarifies the interaction of the accounting for equity securities under Topic 321 and investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting in Topic 323 and the accounting for certain forward contracts and purchased options accounted for under Topic 815. ASU 2020-01 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of ASU 2020-01 did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. In March 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-04, Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Facilitation of the Effects of Reference Rate Reform on Financial Reporting, which provides optional expedients and exceptions for applying generally accepted accounting principles to contracts, hedging relationships, and other transactions affected by reference rate reform if certain NOTE 2. SUMMARY OF ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ACCOUNTING CHANGES (Continued) criteria are met. The guidance in ASU 2020-04, if elected, shall apply to contract modifications if the terms that are modified directly replace, or have the potential to replace, a reference rate with another interest rate index. If other terms are contemporaneously modified in a manner that changes, or has the potential to change, the amount or timing of contractual cash flows, the guidance in ASU 2020-04 shall apply only if those modifications are related to the replacement of a reference rate. ASU 2020-04 is effective for contract modifications made between March 12, 2020 through December 31, 2022. The adoption of ASU 2020-04 did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of this guidance on its financial statements. In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-08, Codification Improvements to Subtopic 310-20, Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs, which clarifies that an entity should re-evaluate whether a callable debt security is within the scope of paragraph 310-20-35-33 for each reporting period. ASU 2020-08 is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2020 and interim periods within those annual periods. The adoption of ASU 2020-08 did not have a material effect on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company has adopted all other recently issued accounting pronouncements with effective dates prior to January 1, 2022. There were no adoptions of such accounting pronouncements during the year ended December 31, 2021 that had a material impact on the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Guidance Not Yet Adopted In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-12, Financial Services-Insurance (Topic 944): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts. ASU 2018-12 amends the accounting model for certain long-duration insurance contracts and requires the insurer to provide additional disclosures in annual and interim reporting periods. In November 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-11 which deferred the effective date of ASU 2018-12 by one year for public business entities. ASU 2018-12 is now effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, and interim periods within those annual periods. The amendments in ASU 2018-12 (i) require cash flow assumptions used to measure the liability for future policy benefits for nonparticipating traditional and limited pay long duration contracts to be updated at least annually with the recognition and remeasurement recorded in net income, require the discount rate used in measuring the liability to be an upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yield, which is to be updated at each reporting period, and recognized in other comprehensive income, (ii) simplify the amortization of deferred acquisition costs to be amortized on a constant level basis over the expected term of the contract, (iii) require all market risk benefits to be measured at fair value, and (iv) enhance certain presentation and disclosure requirements which include disaggregated rollforwards for liability for future policy benefits, policyholder account balances, market risk benefits, separate account liabilities, deferred acquisition costs, and information about significant inputs, judgments and methods used in the measurement. The Company plans to adopt using the modified retrospective transition method and is currently evaluating the impact of this guidance on its financial statements.

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