Ameriprise 2011 Annual Report Download - page 141

7. Reinsurance
Generally, the Company reinsures 90% of the death benefit liability related to almost all individual fixed and variable
universal life and term life insurance products. As a result, the Company typically retains and is at risk for, at most, 10% of
each policy’s death benefit from the first dollar of coverage for new sales of these policies, subject to the reinsurers
fulfilling their obligations. The Company began reinsuring risks at this level during 2001 (2002 for RiverSource Life of NY)
for term life insurance and 2002 (2003 for RiverSource Life of NY) for individual fixed and variable universal life insurance.
Policies issued prior to these dates are not subject to these same reinsurance levels. Generally, the maximum amount of
life insurance risk retained by the Company is $1.5 million on a single life and $1.5 million on any flexible premium
survivorship life policy. Risk on fixed and variable universal life policies is reinsured on a yearly renewable term basis. Risk
on most term life policies starting in 2001 (2002 for RiverSource Life of NY) is reinsured on a coinsurance basis, a type of
reinsurance in which the reinsurer participates proportionally in all material risks and premiums associated with a policy.
For existing LTC policies, the Company retained 50% of the risk and ceded the remaining 50% of the risk on a coinsurance
basis to subsidiaries of Genworth Financial, Inc. (‘‘Genworth’’). For RiverSource Life of NY, this reinsurance arrangement
applies for 1996 and later issues only.
Generally, the Company retains at most $5,000 per month of risk per life on DI policies sold on policy forms introduced in
most states in October 2007 (August 2010 for RiverSource Life of NY) and reinsures the remainder of the risk on a
coinsurance basis with unaffiliated reinsurance companies. The Company retains all risk for new claims on DI contracts
sold on other policy forms. The Company also retains all risk on accidental death benefit claims and substantially all risk
associated with waiver of premium provisions.
At December 31, 2011 and 2010, traditional life and UL insurance in force aggregated $191.2 billion and $192.0 billion,
respectively, of which $136.2 billion and $134.0 billion were reinsured at the respective year ends. Life insurance in force
is reported on a statutory basis.
The Company also reinsures a portion of the risks associated with its personal auto, home and umbrella insurance
products through three types of reinsurance agreements with unaffiliated reinsurance companies. The Company purchases
reinsurance with a limit of $5 million per loss and the Company retains $750,000 per loss. The Company purchases
catastrophe reinsurance with a limit of $90 million per event and retains $10 million per event. Those limits change in
2012 to $110 million and $20 million, respectively. The Company also cedes 90% of every personal umbrella loss with a
limit of $5 million.
The effect of reinsurance on premiums was as follows:
Years Ended December 31,
2011 2010 2009
(in millions)
Direct premiums $ 1,421 $ 1,382 $ 1,317
Reinsurance ceded (201) (203) (219)
Net premiums $ 1,220 $ 1,179 $ 1,098
Cost of insurance and administrative charges on UL and VUL insurance are reflected in other revenues and were net of
reinsurance ceded of $71 million, $67 million and $62 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009,
respectively.
Reinsurance recovered from reinsurers was $201 million, $172 million and $174 million for the years ended
December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Company from its primary
obligation to policyholders.
Receivables included $2.0 billion and $1.9 billion of reinsurance recoverables as of December 31, 2011 and 2010,
respectively, including $1.5 billion and $1.4 billion recoverable from Genworth, respectively. Included in future policy
benefits and claims were $629 million and $657 million related to assumed reinsurance arrangements as of
December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.
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