separate account

This Subtopic applies Topic 815's derivative and hedging guidance to insurance entities, chiefly for long-duration contracts such as variable annuities. Its core rules are that a traditional variable annuity contract is not a hybrid instrument containing an embedded derivative requiring bifurcation (815-944-25-1 through 25-2), that the traditional variable annuity serves as the host contract for a nontraditional variable annuity whose other features (excluding market risk benefits) may be embedded derivatives (815-944-25-5), and that these conclusions are exceptions that may not be analogized to other structures (815-944-25-3, 25-6). It also illustrates when an insurer may apply cash flow hedge accounting to forecasted interest credited on surrenderable fixed-rate contracts.

ASC 944-80 governs how an insurance entity accounts for and presents separate accounts — pools of assets and liabilities maintained to fund variable annuity, variable life, pension and similar contracts where the contract holder generally bears the investment risk. If a separate account arrangement meets the four criteria in 944-80-25-2 (legal recognition, legal insulation from general account liabilities, contract-holder-directed investment, and full pass-through of investment performance), the contract holder portion is measured at fair value and reported as a single summary total asset with an equivalent summary total liability, with investment performance and amounts credited offset to zero. If any criterion fails (e.g., guaranteed interest or market value adjusted "spread" products), the assets and liabilities are accounted for and presented as ordinary general account items.