{"schema_version":2,"canonical_url":"https://asc.understandingaccounting.org/asc/944/30/#05-overview-and-background","source":"FASB Accounting Standards Codification, Basic View","usage":"Study and research edition. Verify current requirements with the official source. Summaries, enrichment, and tags are machine-generated study aids. Paragraph html preserves source markup; snippet is abbreviated. Pending content is not necessarily effective.","topic":"944","topic_title":"Financial Services—Insurance","subtopic":"944-30","subtopic_title":"Acquisition Costs","section":{"number":"05","label":"05 Overview and Background","anchor":"05-overview-and-background","is_sec":false,"groups":[{"block":null,"heading":null,"paragraphs":[{"citation":"944-30-05-1","para":"05-1","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\">This Subtopic provides guidance to insurance entities on accounting for and financial reporting of <a href=\"/glossary/a/#acquisition-costs\" class=\"term\" title=\"Costs that are related directly to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts.\"><span>acquisition costs</span></a> including related considerations for <a href=\"/glossary/i/#internal-replacement\" class=\"term\" title=\"A modification in product benefits, features, rights, or coverages that occurs by a contract exchange; by amendment, endorsement, or rider to a contract; or by the election of a benefit, feature, right, or coverage within the contract.\"><span>internal replacement</span></a> transactions. The guidance in this Subtopic is presented in the following five Subsections:<ol class=\"ol-norm\"><li class=\"li-norm\"><span class=\"linum\">a</span><div class=\"p\">General</div></li><li class=\"li-norm\"><span class=\"linum\">b</span><div class=\"p\">Short-Duration Contracts</div></li><li class=\"li-norm\"><span class=\"linum\">c</span><div class=\"p\">Long-Duration Contracts</div></li><li class=\"li-norm\"><span class=\"linum\">d</span><div class=\"p\">Internal Replacement Transactions</div></li><li class=\"li-norm\"><span class=\"linum\">e</span><div class=\"p\"><a href=\"/glossary/r/#reinsurance\" class=\"term\" title=\"A transaction in which a reinsurer (assuming entity), for a consideration (premium), assumes all or part of a risk undertaken originally by another insurer (ceding entity). For indemnity reinsurance, the legal rights of the insured are not affected by the reinsurance transaction and the insurance entity issuing the insurance contract remains liable to the insured for payment of policy benefits. Assumption or novation reinsurance contracts that are legal replacements of one insurer by another extinguish the ceding entity's liability to the policyholder.\"><span>Reinsurance</span></a> Contracts.</div></li></ol></div></div>","snippet":"This Subtopic provides guidance to insurance entities on accounting for and financial reporting of acquisition costs including related considerations for internal replacement transactions. The guidance in this Subtopic i…","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:472a38035bd3cc4ca911bd62d52148a7a174fa8d2ea35bbb3672e8a9500f61c6","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:d9bd8fefd5a1340106b423a7a94fbd825da37d693cd406dcbe6fca7d2e354751","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},{"block":"Short-Duration Contracts","heading":null,"paragraphs":[{"citation":"944-30-05-2","para":"05-2","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\">The Short-Duration Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of <a href=\"/glossary/a/#acquisition-costs\" class=\"term\" title=\"Costs that are related directly to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts.\"><span>acquisition costs</span></a> involving short-duration contracts.</div></div>","snippet":"The Short-Duration Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of acquisition costs involving short-duration contracts.","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:5a714b3ce8dafb0a26d06fbd8eec27a15536bd0639bbf578dea98cab11dfbb69","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:9194d9c13886c9c7327ef2cda8ec5affaf565e24690d4557b469ce1ccfb30ef2","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},{"block":"Long-Duration Contracts","heading":null,"paragraphs":[{"citation":"944-30-05-3","para":"05-3","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\">The Long-Duration Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of <a href=\"/glossary/a/#acquisition-costs\" class=\"term\" title=\"Costs that are related directly to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts.\"><span>acquisition costs</span></a> involving long-duration contracts.</div></div>","snippet":"The Long-Duration Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of acquisition costs involving long-duration contracts.","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:8449a676e2d34f4e9d8289e006879be1429633a0fa1e9d9c15fa15def47cd57f","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:39124f20d5bb90f6358597b43e2c90199341a41f523cc3a06289e0a66ad5ea79","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},{"block":"Internal Replacement Transactions","heading":null,"paragraphs":[{"citation":"944-30-05-4","para":"05-4","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\">The Internal Replacement Transactions Subsections of this Subtopic provide guidance to insurance entities on accounting for and financial reporting of unamortized <a href=\"/glossary/a/#acquisition-costs\" class=\"term\" title=\"Costs that are related directly to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts.\"><span>acquisition costs</span></a> in the event of an <a href=\"/glossary/i/#internal-replacement\" class=\"term\" title=\"A modification in product benefits, features, rights, or coverages that occurs by a contract exchange; by amendment, endorsement, or rider to a contract; or by the election of a benefit, feature, right, or coverage within the contract.\"><span>internal replacement</span></a> transaction.</div></div>","snippet":"The Internal Replacement Transactions Subsections of this Subtopic provide guidance to insurance entities on accounting for and financial reporting of unamortized acquisition costs in the event of an internal replacement…","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:06d53ab2fe7cc4842d0cca865afc1cd5bfdaa7807c084359b11014d245966f5e","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},{"citation":"944-30-05-5","para":"05-5","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\"><span class=\"sfragment\" id=\"sfr_FCA396B7-6E93-1014-A13F-6E4B94C84136\"><span class=\"sfragment-source\">Policyholders often purchase universal life-type contracts as replacements for other insurance contracts issued by the same entity (sometimes referred to as internal replacement transactions). </span></span><span class=\"sfragment\" id=\"sfr_FCA39877-6E93-1014-A13F-6E4B94C84136\"><span class=\"sfragment-source\">In those cases, the policyholder often uses the cash surrender value of the previous contract to pay an initial lump-sum premium for the new contract. </span></span></div></div>","snippet":"Policyholders often purchase universal life-type contracts as replacements for other insurance contracts issued by the same entity (sometimes referred to as internal replacement transactions). In those cases, the policyh…","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:a7aec4a99fc955a1fb126c94e889b46e2c741bf7978ffa99400bd9cef1a3a288","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:ed348edf8cb412303d137bce5cd7a231562c44f90d4c5513c0860abf721301bf","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},{"block":"Reinsurance Contracts","heading":null,"paragraphs":[{"citation":"944-30-05-6","para":"05-6","html":"<div class=\"asc-body\"><div class=\"norm-text\">The Reinsurance Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of <a href=\"/glossary/a/#acquisition-costs\" class=\"term\" title=\"Costs that are related directly to the successful acquisition of new or renewal insurance contracts.\"><span>acquisition costs</span></a> involving <a href=\"/glossary/r/#reinsurance\" class=\"term\" title=\"A transaction in which a reinsurer (assuming entity), for a consideration (premium), assumes all or part of a risk undertaken originally by another insurer (ceding entity). For indemnity reinsurance, the legal rights of the insured are not affected by the reinsurance transaction and the insurance entity issuing the insurance contract remains liable to the insured for payment of policy benefits. Assumption or novation reinsurance contracts that are legal replacements of one insurer by another extinguish the ceding entity's liability to the policyholder.\"><span>reinsurance</span></a> contracts.</div></div>","snippet":"The Reinsurance Contracts Subsections of this Subtopic provide insurance entities guidance on accounting for and financial reporting of acquisition costs involving reinsurance contracts.","pending":false,"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:bfad88ce11303f3a9b5a8c84913c8388c73e7ae67824018a9ed8f1b2564e4e07","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:6eb08791aeabe5bb93e455a92e05aefc3b569c3ee0d20ffa05c4febef955953c","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}],"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:2c024772be79a667c4d6b21d149edb8b4a54321099baf7a2ac75c8548f7e8049","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}},"provenance":{"source_url":"https://asc.fasb.org/","snapshot_version":"sha256:15aea8165dff9f5ae47d9484f8470588b13b307f56e1d50801bf4d85ec190e3f","record_version":"sha256:2c024772be79a667c4d6b21d149edb8b4a54321099baf7a2ac75c8548f7e8049","downloaded_from":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","last_downloaded_at":"2026-09-10T02:15:52.993Z","date_scope":"source_page","effective_as_of":null,"effective_as_of_status":"Not established by retrieval timestamps","source_key":"1943274/2147479682","source_sha256":"5464595aa4e094b4127db2d986dcd62f32aaf980fade62a34724e7dceb72a4fd"}}