ASC 944-30
Acquisition Costs
944 Financial Services—Insurance
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ASC 944-30 governs how insurance entities capitalize, amortize, present, and disclose acquisition costs (DAC) for short-duration contracts, long-duration contracts, investment contracts, and reinsurance, plus deferred sales inducements. Only costs "related directly to the successful acquisition" of new or renewal contracts may be capitalized (944-30-25-1A) — incremental direct costs, directly related compensation/fringe benefits for underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical and inspection, and sales force contract selling, plus certain other direct costs and qualifying direct-response advertising. Post-ASU 2018-12, long-duration DAC is amortized on a constant level basis over the expected contract term (944-30-35-3A), and the Internal Replacement Transactions Subsections determine whether a modified/replaced contract is "substantially unchanged" (continuation, DAC carried forward) or "substantially changed" (extinguishment, DAC written off).
Key points (7)
- Only costs directly related to the successful acquisition of new or renewal contracts may be capitalized: incremental direct costs, the portion of employee compensation and payroll-related fringe benefits for time spent on underwriting, policy issuance and processing, medical and inspection, and sales force contract selling, and other directly related costs that would not have been incurred but for the acquisition (944-30-25-1A); unsuccessful efforts, idle time, market research, training, general overhead, and dedicated software are expensed as incurred (944-30-55-1B; 944-30-55-1F).
- Direct-response advertising costs are capitalized only if the primary purpose is to elicit sales to customers documented as responding specifically to the advertising and the advertising results in probable future benefits based on verifiable historical patterns for the entity (944-30-25-1AA through 25-1I); probable future benefits include only primary revenues (944-30-25-1P), and costs not capitalized may not be retroactively capitalized (944-30-25-1I).
- Acquisition costs that vary in a constant relationship to premiums or insurance in force, are recurring, or are incurred in level amounts (e.g., recurring premium taxes, ultimate level commissions) are maintenance and other period costs expensed as incurred (944-30-25-4 through 25-5).
- Short-duration DAC is charged to expense in proportion to premium revenue recognized under Subtopic 944-605 (944-30-35-1A; 944-30-35-2), while long-duration DAC is charged to expense on a constant level basis — straight-line for individual contracts, or a constant-level basis approximating individual straight-line for grouped contracts — over the expected contract term, not as a function of revenue or profit emergence, with no interest accrual (944-30-35-3A; 944-30-35-3C).
- The long-duration DAC balance is reduced for actual experience in excess of expected (unexpected terminations), and changes in future estimates are recognized prospectively as revisions of future amortization amounts (944-30-35-3B).
- Sales inducements that are incremental to amounts credited on similar contracts, exceed expected ongoing crediting rates, are recognized as part of the liability under 944-40-25-12, and are explicitly identified in the contract at inception are deferred as an asset and amortized like DAC, with amortization in benefit expense (944-30-25-6 through 25-7; 944-30-35-18; 944-30-45-2).
- An internal replacement is 'substantially unchanged' only if all six conditions in 944-30-35-37 are met (no change in insured event/risk/period of coverage, investment return rights, no additional deposit, no net account value reduction, no change in participation/dividend features, no change in amortization method or revenue classification); continuation carries DAC, unearned revenue liabilities, and deferred sales inducements forward on a prospective basis (944-30-35-38 through 35-40, 35-46), while a substantially changed contract is accounted for as an extinguishment with those balances not deferred (944-30-40-1 through 40-4).
For students. DAC is the signature insurance-accounting asset, and ASU 2018-12 fundamentally changed it: long-duration DAC is now amortized on a constant level basis over the expected term with no interest accrual and no unlocking/retrospective catch-up, and it is no longer subject to the old EGP/gross-profit amortization or to DAC recoverability testing. The most common error is assuming all costs of writing business are deferrable — only costs directly related to *successful* acquisition qualify, so unsuccessful underwriting effort, idle time, marketing, training, and overhead must be expensed as incurred.
Machine-generated study aid for ASC 944-30. Check the source paragraphs below.
944-30-00Status
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944-30-05Overview and Background
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- aGeneral
- bShort-Duration Contracts
- cLong-Duration Contracts
- dInternal Replacement Transactions
- eReinsurance Contracts.
Short-Duration Contracts
Long-Duration Contracts
Internal Replacement Transactions
Reinsurance Contracts
944-30-15Scope and Scope Exceptions
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Overall Guidance
Entities
Short-Duration Contracts
Overall Guidance
Instruments
Long-Duration Contracts
Overall Guidance
Instruments
Internal Replacement Transactions
Overall Guidance
Instruments
Other Considerations
Reinsurance Contracts
Overall Guidance
Instruments
944-30-25Recognition
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- a
- bThe portion of the employee's total compensation (excluding any compensation that is capitalized as incremental direct costs of contract acquisition) and payroll-related fringe benefits related directly to time spent performing any of the following acquisition activities for a contract that actually has been acquired:
- 1Underwriting
- 2Policy issuance and processing
- 3Medical and inspection
- 4Sales force contract selling.
- 1
- cOther costs related directly to the insurer's acquisition activities in (b) that would not have been incurred by the insurance entity had the acquisition contract transaction(s) not occurred.
- d
- If the application of the guidance in this paragraph results in the capitalization of acquisition costs that had not previously been capitalized by the insurance entity before fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, the insurance entity may elect to not capitalize those types of costs. This election shall be made before fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011.
- [Editor's Note: This accounting policy election was a one-time election upon the adoption of the amendments in Update 2010-26.]
- aThe primary purpose of the advertising is to elicit sales to customers who could be shown to have responded specifically to the advertising. Paragraph 944-30-25-1D discusses the conditions that must exist in order to conclude that the advertising's purpose is to elicit sales to customers who could be shown to have responded specifically to the advertising.
- bThe direct-response advertising results in probable future benefits. Paragraph 944-30-25-1G discusses the conditions that must exist in order to conclude that direct-response advertising results in probable future benefits.
Primary Purpose to Elicit Sales to Customers Responding to the Advertising
- aFiles indicating the customer names and the related direct-response advertisement
- bA coded order form, coupon, or response card, included with an advertisement, indicating the customer name
- cA log of customers who have made phone calls to a number appearing in an advertisement, linking those calls to the advertisement.
Probable Future Benefits of Direct-Response Advertising
- aThe demographics of the audience
- bThe method of advertising
- cThe product
- dThe economic conditions.
Direct-Response Advertising That Does Not Result in Probable Future Benefits
Basis of Measurement
Period and Extent of Expected Future Benefits
- aThe existence of the degree of reliability required to determine the probability of renewals
- bWhether those renewals result from the direct-response advertising being accounted for.
- aThe sale of subscriptions may be offered only through direct-response advertising. The entity may have objective evidence that, historically, a quantifiable percentage of subscriptions is renewed at the end of each subscription period without a significant advertising effort. After the subscription is purchased, in what is deemed to be an insignificant advertising effort, renewal subscriptions are offered for sale by mailing a renewal card to those who have subscriptions that will lapse soon. The amount of direct-response advertising reported as assets and amortized in future periods ordinarily would be based on the expected total revenue to be realized over both the initial and the renewal subscription periods.
- bA series of products, such as pieces in a chess set, may be offered for sale only through direct-response advertising. After the first piece is purchased, the remaining pieces are offered for sale by mailing a response card to those who purchased the first piece in what is deemed to be an insignificant advertising effort. The entity may have objective evidence that, historically, each customer who buys the first piece will buy a quantifiable percentage of the remaining pieces. If each of the pieces is bought separately, the amount of direct-response advertising reported as assets and amortized in future periods ordinarily would be based on total revenue from all sales, including estimated future sales.
Acquisition Costs of Assets
Tangible Assets Used for Several Advertising Campaigns
Revenues to Consider When Evaluating Future Benefits
- aPrimary: Revenues from sales to customers receiving and responding to the direct-response advertising
- bSecondary: Revenues that are not from sales to customers receiving and responding to the direct-response advertising.
Long-Duration Contracts
- aAcquisition costs that vary in a constant relationship to premiums or insurance in force
- bAcquisition costs that are recurring in nature
- cAcquisition costs that tend to be incurred in a level amount from period to period.
Sales Inducements
- aThe amounts are incremental to amounts the entity credits on similar contracts without sales inducements.
- bThe amounts are higher than the contract's expected ongoing crediting rates for periods after the inducement, as applicable; that is, the crediting rate excluding the inducement should be consistent with assumptions used in contract illustrations and interest-crediting strategies.
- aThe sales inducements are recognized as part of the liability under paragraph 944-40-25-12.
- bThe sales inducements are explicitly identified in the contract at inception.
Limited-Payment Contracts
Internal Replacement Transactions
- aUnamortized acquisition costs associated with the replaced contract
- bAny difference between the cash surrender value and the previously recorded liability.
Reinsurance Contracts
944-30-30Initial Measurement
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Short-Duration Contracts
Long-Duration Contracts
944-30-35Subsequent Measurement
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Short-Duration Contracts
Long-Duration Contracts
Insurance Contracts
- aIndividual contracts. Capitalized acquisition costs shall be charged to expense on a straight-line basis.
- bGrouped contracts. Capitalized acquisition costs shall be charged to expense on a constant-level basis that approximates straight-line amortization on an individual contract basis. Contracts shall be grouped consistent with the grouping used in estimating the liability for future policy benefits (or any other related balance) for the corresponding contracts.
Sales Inducements
Investment Contracts
Internal Replacement Transactions
Overall
- aThe election is made in accordance with terms fixed or specified within narrow ranges in the original contract.
- bThe election of the benefit, feature, right, or coverage is not subject to any underwriting.
- cThe insurance entity cannot decline to provide the coverage or adjust the pricing of the benefit, feature, right, or coverage.
- dThe benefit, feature, right, or coverage had been accounted for since the inception of the contract.
- aThe option to elect the feature is an embedded option within the contract that is required to be accounted for under Subtopic 815-15.
- bThe existence of the option to elect a feature was assessed in the classification of and accounting for the contract, such as the classification of the contract as an insurance contract under Section 944-30-15.
Integrated and Nonintegrated Contract Features
Contract Modifications Involving Nonintegrated Contract Features
Contract Modifications Involving Integrated Contract Features
- aContinuation. A contract modification meeting all of the conditions in paragraph 944-30-35-37 results in a replacement contract that is substantially unchanged from the replaced contract, and shall be accounted for as a continuation of the replaced contract in accordance with paragraphs and .
- bExtinguishment. A contract modification that fails any of the conditions in paragraph 944-30-35-37 results in a replacement contract that is substantially changed from the replaced contract, and shall be accounted for as an extinguishment of the replaced contract in accordance with paragraphs .
- aThe insured event, risk, or period of coverage of the contract has not changed, as noted by no significant changes in the kind and degree of mortality risk, morbidity risk, or other insurance risk, if any.
- bThe nature of the investment return rights (for example, whether amounts are determined by formulas specified by the contract, pass through of actual performance of referenced investments, or at the discretion of the insurer), if any, between the insurance entity and the contract holder has not changed.
- cNo additional deposit, premium, or charge relating to the original benefit or coverage, in excess of amounts specified or allowed in the original contract, is required to effect the transaction; or if there is a reduction in the original benefit or coverage, the deposit, premiums, or charges are reduced by an amount at least equal to the corresponding reduction in benefits or coverage.
- dOther than distributions to the contract holder or contract designee or charges related to newly purchased or elected benefits or coverages, there is no net reduction in the contract holder's account value or, for contracts not having an explicit or implicit account value, the cash surrender value, if any.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the contract, if any.
- fThere is no change to the amortization method or revenue classification of the contract.
Contract Assessments
Recoverability
Reinsurance Contracts
944-30-40Derecognition
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Internal Replacement Transactions
Contracts That Are Substantially Changed
944-30-45Other Presentation Matters
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Long-Duration Contracts
Deferred Sales Inducement Asset
944-30-50Disclosure
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- aThe nature and type of acquisition costs capitalized
- bThe method of amortizing capitalized acquisition costs
- cThe amount of acquisition costs amortized for the period.
- aThe nature and type of acquisition costs capitalized
- bThe method of amortizing capitalized acquisition costs
- cThe amount of acquisition costs amortized for the period. See paragraphs for additional disclosure requirements.
Long-Duration Contracts
- aThe nature of the costs deferred
- bInformation about the inputs, judgments, assumptions, and methods used to determine amortization amounts and changes in those inputs, judgments, and assumptions.
- aThe nature of the costs deferred
- bInformation about the inputs, judgments, assumptions, and methods used to determine amortization amounts and changes in those inputs, judgments, and assumptions.
- aA year-to-date disaggregated tabular rollforward of the beginning to the ending balance of unamortized deferred costs—and balances amortized on a basis consistent with deferred acquisition costs, to the extent that such balances are not included in the tabular rollforwards required in Section 944-40-50—disaggregated in a manner that is consistent with the disaggregation of the related liability disclosures
- bA reconciliation of the disaggregated rollforwards to the aggregate ending carrying amount in the statement of financial position.
Internal Replacement Transactions
944-30-55Implementation Guidance and Illustrations
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Implementation Guidance
- aAn agent or broker commission or bonus for successful contract acquisition or acquisitions.
- b
- cMedical and inspection fees for successful contract acquisition or acquisitions.
- aReimbursement of costs for air travel, hotel accommodations, automobile mileage, and similar costs incurred by personnel relating to the specified activities
- bCosts of itemized long-distance telephone calls related to contract underwriting
- cReimbursement for mileage and tolls to personnel involved in on-site reviews of individuals before the contract is executed.
- aPayroll taxes
- bDental and medical insurance
- cGroup life insurance
- dRetirement plans
- e401(k) plans
- fStock compensation plans, such as stock options and stock appreciation rights
- gOvertime meal allowances.
Long-Duration Contracts
Illustrations
- a
- b
- Note X: Deferred Acquisition Costs
- The balances of and changes in deferred acquisition costs as of and for the years ended December 31, 20X2, and December 31, 20X1, respectively, follow.
"As of December 31, 20X2" Whole Life Universal Life Fixed Annuity Variable Annuity Variable Universal Life Total "Balance, beginning of year" $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY Capitalizations XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Amortization expense (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) Experience adjustment (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) "Balance, end of year" $ZZZ $ZZZ $ZZZ $ZZZ $ZZZ $ZZZ "As of December 31, 20X1" Whole Life Universal Life Fixed Annuity Variable Annuity Variable Universal Life Total "Balance, beginning of year" $WWW $WWW $WWW $WWW $WWW $WWW Capitalizations XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX Amortization expense (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) Experience adjustment (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) (XXX) "Balance, end of year" $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY $YYY
Schedule One Year Balance of Insurance in Force 20X1 " $1,000 " 20X2 " 1,000 " 20X3 " 1,000 " 20X4 " 1,000 " 20X5 " 1,000 " Total " $5,000 " (x) Capitalized acquisition costs $80 (y) Amortization rate = (y) / (x) 1.60% (z)
Schedule Two "Capitalized costs, year one" $80 "Amortization, year one" "Balance of insurance in force of $1,000 (from Schedule One) at rate (z) above" (16) "Balance, end of year one" $64
Schedule Three Year Balance of Insurance in Force 20X2 " $1,000 " 20X3 " 1,000 " 20X4 " 1,000 " 20X5 " 1,000 " Total " $4,000 " (x) Capitalized acquisition costs $74 (y) Amortization rate = (y) / (x) 1.85% (z)
Schedule Four "Capitalized costs, year two" $74 "Amortization, year two" "Balance of insurance in force of $1,000 (from Schedule Three) at rate (z) above" (19) "Experience adjustment, end of year two" Change in balance of insurance in force "$55 × [(1,000 - 700) / 1,000]" (17) "Balance, end of year two" $38
Schedule Five Year Balance of Insurance in Force 20X3 $700 20X4 400 20X5 200 Total " $1,300 " (x) Capitalized acquisition costs $38 (y) Amortization rate = (y) / (x) 2.92% (z)
Schedule Six "Capitalized costs, year three" $38 "Amortization, year three" Balance of insurance in force of $700 (from Schedule Five) at rate (z) above (20) "Balance, end of year three" $18
Schedule Seven Deferred Acquisition Costs Rollforward Year "Balance, Beginning of Year" Capitalization Experience Adjustment Amortization "Balance, End of Year" 20X1 $- $80 $- $(16) $64 20X2 64 10 (17) (19) 38 20X3 38 - - (20) 18 20X4 18 - - (12) 6 20X5 6 - - (6) - Total $90 $(17) $(73)
Internal Replacement Transactions
Implementation Guidance
Illustrations
- a
- b
- aAn insurance entity is offering to replace its general account single premium deferred annuity contracts with newer general account single premium deferred annuity contracts.
- bThe insurance entity assumes that 50 percent of the existing contract holders choose the internal replacement at the end of Year 5.
- cNo surrender charges from the original contract will be imposed on contract holders who elect to have their contracts replaced.
- dThe contract holder who elects the new contract will receive a higher interest crediting rate than under the older contract but must accept a new surrender charge period.
- eThe insurance entity expects that persistency rates will improve under the replacement contracts as a result of the new surrender charge period and the higher credited interest.
- aThe insured event or risk, type, or period of coverage of the contract has not changed, as noted by no significant changes in the kind and degree of mortality risk, morbidity risk, or other insurance risk, if any.
- bThe nature of the investment return rights, if any, have not changed.
- cNo additional deposit, premium, or charge relating to the original benefit, in excess of amounts contemplated in the original contract, is required to effect the transaction.
- dOther than distributions to the contract holder or contract designee, there is no net reduction in the contract holder's account value or, for contracts not having an explicit or implicit account value, the cash surrender value, if any.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the contract, if any.
- fThere is no change to the revenue classification of the contract.
- aOne or more of the amounts assessed by the insurer against the policyholder are not fixed and guaranteed by the terms of the contract.
- bAmounts that accrue to the benefit of the policyholder are not fixed and guaranteed by the terms of the contract.
- cPremiums may be varied by the policyholder within contract limits without the consent of the insurer.
- aThe modification does not result in a change in the insured event, as there is no significant change in the kind and degree of mortality risk. Although the face amount of the contract has increased, it is appropriate in this example to analyze the change in degree of mortality risk by comparing the relationship of the expected cost of the benefit to charges assessed for that benefit, and there was no significant change in this relationship.
- bThere is no change in the nature of the investment return rights from the replaced contract.
- cThere are no changes in the charges related to the original benefits; also, the additional cost of insurance is not in excess of an amount commensurate with the additional insurance coverage obtained.
- dThere is no net decrease in the balance available to the contract holder, except to pay the cost of insurance charge for the increased coverage.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend feature of the replaced contract.
- fThe modification does not result in a change to either the amortization method or revenue classification of the contract.
- aThe insured event has not changed from the replaced contract.
- bThe exchange does not change the nature of the contract holder's investment return rights.
- cNo additional deposit or premium is required and there are no changes in the charges related to the original benefits in excess of the amounts specified or allowed in the original contract, as the reduction in benefits is not in excess of the corresponding reduction in premiums. (The original contract provided for benefits of $100 a day for $2,000 annual premium, the reduction in benefits to $80 a day is commensurate with the 20-percent reduction in premiums from the increased rate of $2,500 to $2,000.)
- dThere is no net decrease in the balance available to the contract holder.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the replaced contract.
- fThere is no change in the amortization method or revenue classification of the replaced contract.
- aThe insured event has not changed from the replaced contract.
- bThe exchange does not change the nature of the contract holder's investment return rights (crediting rate declared by insurance entity, subject to guaranteed minimum crediting rate). The single premium deferred annuity and the market value annuity are both contracts for which the interest rate is periodically reset by the insurance entity subject to a minimum interest rate guaranteed by the contract and, in this example, the current declared interest period does not represent substantially all of the expected life of the contract. The difference between the single premium deferred annuity and the market value annuity results from the manner in which the amount available to the contract holder is determined in the event the contract is terminated prematurely, not the contractual rights and provisions for the determination of the contract holder's investment return in the absence of a premature termination of the contract.
- cNo additional deposit or premium is required, and there are no changes in the charges related to the original benefits.
- dThere is no net decrease in the balance available to the contract holder.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the replaced contract.
- fThere is no change in the amortization method or revenue classification of the replaced contract.
- aThe exchange does not result in a significant change in the kind and degree of mortality risk.
- bThe exchange does not change the nature of the contract holder's investment return rights.
- cNo additional deposit or premium is required relating to the variable annuity (the original benefit), and the additional charges for the ratchet death benefit guarantee are not in excess of an amount commensurate with the benefit.
- dThere is no net decrease in the balance available to the contract holder.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the contracts.
- fThere is no change to the revenue classification of the replaced contract.
- aThe modification does not result in a change in the insured event, as there is no significant change in the kind and degree of mortality risk from the replaced contract.
- bThere is no change in the nature of the investment return rights from the replaced contract.
- cThere are no changes in the charges related to the variable annuity (the original benefit), and the additional premium for the long-term care benefit is not in excess of an amount commensurate with the additional insurance coverage obtained.
- dThere is no net decrease in the balance available to the contract holder.
- eThere is no change in the participation or dividend features of the replaced contract.
- fThe modification does not result in a change to either the amortization method or revenue classification of the contract.
Related subtopics
- 944-20 Insurance ActivitiesFinancial Services—Insurance
- 605-944 Financial Services—InsuranceRevenue Recognition
- 815-944 Financial Services—InsuranceDerivatives and Hedging
- 944-40 Claim Costs and Liabilities for Future Policy BenefitsFinancial Services—Insurance
- 340-30 Insurance Contracts That Do Not Transfer Insurance RiskOther Assets and Deferred Costs
- 805-20 Identifiable Assets and Liabilities, and Any Noncontrolling InterestBusiness Combinations
