Ameriprise 2012 Annual Report Download - page 145

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 ceded 50% of the risk on a coinsurance basis to subsidiaries of Genworth
Financial, Inc. (‘‘Genworth’’) and retained the remaining risk. 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, 2012 and 2011, traditional life and UL insurance in force aggregated $191.4 billion and $191.2 billion,
respectively, of which $138.6 billion and $136.2 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 that, for 2012, had a limit of $110 million per event and the Company retained $20 million per
event. For 2013, the Company’s catastrophe reinsurance has a limit of $125 million per event and we retain $20 million
per event. 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,
2012 2011 2010
(in millions)
Direct premiums $ 1,445 $ 1,421 $ 1,382
Reinsurance ceded (222) (201) (203)
Net premiums $ 1,223 $ 1,220 $ 1,179
Cost of insurance and administrative charges on UL and VUL insurance are reflected in other revenues and were net of
reinsurance ceded of $84 million, $71 million and $67 million for the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010,
respectively.
Reinsurance recovered from reinsurers was $201 million, $201 million and $172 million for the years ended
December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Reinsurance contracts do not relieve the Company from its primary
obligation to policyholders.
Receivables included $2.1 billion and $2.0 billion of reinsurance recoverables as of December 31, 2012 and 2011,
respectively, including $1.6 billion and $1.5 billion recoverable from Genworth, respectively. Included in future policy
benefits and claims were $615 million and $629 million related to assumed reinsurance arrangements as of
December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively.
8. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are instead subject to impairment
tests. For the years ended December 31, 2012, 2011 and 2010, the tests did not indicate impairment.
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