v3.25.2
Future Policy Benefits and Claims
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2025
Future Policy Benefits and Claims  
Future Policy Benefits and Claims

9. Future Policy Benefits and Claims

Future policy benefits and claims include reserves for short-duration contracts and long-duration contracts as well as certain reinsurance balances, when in a liability position.

The following tables summarize disaggregated amounts included in future policy benefit and claims and reconcile the totals to those reported in the consolidated statements of financial position.

    

June 30, 2025

    

December 31, 2024

(in millions)

Liability for future policy benefits by segment (1):

 

  

 

  

Retirement and Income Solutions:

 

  

 

  

Pension risk transfer

$

25,999.1

 

$

24,958.1

Individual fixed income annuities

 

4,447.3

 

4,504.6

Total Retirement and Income Solutions

 

30,446.4

 

29,462.7

Principal Asset Management International Pension:

 

 

Latin America:

Individual fixed income annuities

 

4,407.9

 

4,126.9

Benefits and Protection:

 

 

Specialty Benefits:

 

 

Individual disability

 

1,915.0

 

1,829.0

Life Insurance:

 

 

Term life

 

1,349.0

 

1,248.0

Total Benefits and Protection

 

3,264.0

 

3,077.0

Corporate:

 

 

Long-term care insurance

 

166.7

 

164.8

Total liability for future policy benefits

 

38,285.0

 

36,831.4

Additional liability for certain benefit features by segment (2):

 

 

Benefits and Protection Life Insurance:

 

 

Universal life

 

6,303.1

 

6,037.2

Total additional liability for certain benefit features

 

6,303.1

 

6,037.2

Reconciling items:

 

 

Participating contracts

 

2,851.7

 

2,924.2

Short-duration contracts

 

1,226.9

 

1,267.4

Cost of reinsurance liability

 

962.9

 

958.1

Reinsurance recoverable liability

68.0

60.3

Other (3)

 

248.3

 

100.8

Future policy benefits and claims per consolidated statements of financial position

$

49,945.9

 

$

48,179.4

(1)Amounts include the deferred profit liability.
(2)Includes reserves on certain long-duration contracts where benefit features result in gains in early years followed by losses in later years.
(3)Includes other miscellaneous reserves and the impact of unrealized gains (losses) on the additional liability for certain benefit features.

Liability for Unpaid Claims

The liability for unpaid claims is reported in future policy benefits and claims within our consolidated statements of financial position. Activity associated with unpaid claims was as follows:

For the six months ended June 30, 

    

2025

    

2024

(in millions)

Balance at beginning of period

$

1,379.9

$

1,405.9

Less: reinsurance recoverable

 

61.2

 

67.8

Net balance at beginning of period

 

1,318.7

 

1,338.1

Incurred:

 

 

Current year

 

926.1

 

899.7

Prior years

 

(71.1)

 

(68.3)

Total incurred

 

855.0

 

831.4

Payments:

 

 

Current year

 

615.5

 

578.6

Prior years

 

254.1

 

250.4

Total payments

 

869.6

 

829.0

Net balance at end of period

 

1,304.1

 

1,340.5

Plus: reinsurance recoverable

 

59.7

 

63.7

Balance at end of period

$

1,363.8

$

1,404.2

Incurred liability adjustments relating to prior years, which affected current operations during 2025 and 2024, resulted in part from developed claims for prior years being different than were anticipated when the liabilities for unpaid claims were originally estimated. These trends have been considered in establishing the current year liability for unpaid claims.

Long-Duration Contracts

Gross Premiums or Assessments and Interest Accretion

The amount of gross premiums or assessments and interest accretion recognized by segment in the consolidated statements of operations was as follows:

Gross premiums or assessments (1)

For the three months ended

    

For the six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

    

2025

    

2024

    

2025

    

2024

 

(in millions)

Retirement and Income Solutions:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Pension risk transfer

$

444.0

$

991.1

 

$

1,250.1

 

$

1,744.1

Individual fixed income annuities

 

5.9

 

11.2

 

14.1

 

28.2

Total Retirement and Income Solutions

 

449.9

 

1,002.3

 

1,264.2

 

1,772.3

Principal Asset Management International Pension:

 

 

 

 

Latin America:

Individual fixed income annuities

 

4.1

 

10.9

 

5.9

 

13.0

Benefits and Protection:

 

 

 

 

Specialty Benefits:

 

 

 

 

Individual disability

 

161.8

 

159.6

 

320.4

 

314.5

Life Insurance:

 

 

 

 

Universal life

 

177.2

 

180.7

 

354.2

 

356.9

Term life

 

173.7

 

169.6

 

344.0

 

333.7

Total Benefits and Protection

 

512.7

 

509.9

 

1,018.6

 

1,005.1

Corporate:

 

 

 

 

Long-term care insurance

 

1.2

 

1.2

 

2.9

 

2.7

Total per consolidated statements of operations

$

967.9

$

1,524.3

 

$

2,291.6

 

$

2,793.1

(1)Gross premiums are included within premiums and other considerations on the consolidated statements of operations. Assessments, which are only applicable to the Life Insurance – Universal life level of aggregation, are included within fees and other revenues on the consolidated statements of operations.

Interest accretion (1)

For the three months ended

    

For the six months ended

June 30,

June 30,

    

2025

    

2024

    

2025

    

2024

 

(in millions)

Retirement and Income Solutions:

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Pension risk transfer

$

308.1

$

279.7

 

$

608.6

 

$

552.6

Individual fixed income annuities

49.6

 

52.6

 

99.9

 

105.8

Total Retirement and Income Solutions

357.7

 

332.3

 

708.5

 

658.4

Principal Asset Management – International Pension:

 

 

 

Latin America:

Individual fixed income annuities (2)

78.4

 

91.7

 

167.2

 

162.8

Benefits and Protection:

 

 

 

Specialty Benefits:

 

 

 

Individual disability

26.2

 

24.6

 

52.0

 

49.0

Life Insurance:

 

 

 

Universal life

69.8

 

61.6

 

138.3

 

122.0

Term life

16.1

 

13.6

 

31.6

 

26.8

Total Benefits and Protection

112.1

 

99.8

 

221.9

 

197.8

Corporate:

 

 

 

Long-term care insurance

2.3

 

2.3

 

4.7

 

4.5

Total per consolidated statements of operations

$

550.5

$

526.1

 

$

1,102.3

 

$

1,023.5

(1)Interest accretion is included within benefits, claims and settlement expenses on the consolidated statements of operations.
(2)Includes inflation adjustments included within the liability for future policy benefits rollforward for interest accretion.

Liability for Future Policy Benefits

The liability for future policy benefits (“LFPB”) for individual and group annuities is generally equal to the present value of expected future policy benefit payments. The reserves are computed using assumptions for mortality and interest. The LFPB for non-participating term life insurance, individual disability income contracts and individual and group long-term care contracts is generally equal to the present value of expected future policy benefit payments less the present value of expected net premiums. The reserves are computed using assumptions for mortality, interest, morbidity and lapse. Cohorts are used as the unit of account for liability measurement. Actual cash flows are grouped into issue-year cohorts for the liability calculation and updated quarterly. We review and update, if necessary, assumptions used to measure cash flows for the LFPB during the third quarter of each year, or more frequently if evidence suggests assumptions should be revised. The change in our liability estimate as a result of updating cash flow assumptions is recognized in net income.

An interest accretion rate is determined for an identified cohort and remains unchanged after the issue year. For policies issued on or prior to December 31, 2020, the interest accretion rate is based on the assumed investment yield when the business was issued. For policies issued after December 31, 2020, the interest accretion rate is based on the upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yields, which is generally equivalent to a single-A rated bond yield matched to the duration of our insurance liabilities, when the business was issued.

The LFPB is remeasured to reflect current upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yields as of each reporting date. The liability is calculated by discounting cash flows using rate curves reflecting the currency and duration of the insurance liabilities. For discount rate tenors, or points on the curves, where the upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yields are not liquid or limited observable market data is available, we use various estimation techniques consistent with fair value measurement guidance.

For our individual fixed income annuities in Latin America, the discount rate methodology is designed to prioritize observable inputs based on market data available in the local debt markets where the respective policies are issued in the currency in which the policies are denominated. For discount rate tenors where upper-medium grade fixed-income instrument yields based on international rating standards are not liquid or limited observable market data is available, estimation techniques are used to determine a curve in the appropriate currency.

Further details regarding reference rates used are included under “Interest Accretion and Current Discount Rates.”

Retirement and Income Solutions

The balances and the changes in the present value for expected future policy benefits were as follows:

    

For the six months ended

    

For the year ended

June 30, 2025

December 31, 2024

Pension

Individual

Pension

Individual

risk

fixed income

risk

fixed income

    

transfer

    

annuities

    

transfer

    

annuities

 

($ in millions)

Present value of expected future policy benefit payments

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

24,958.1

$

4,504.6

$

23,855.8

$

4,914.1

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

1,938.8

 

420.4

 

1,036.1

 

296.7

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

26,896.9

 

4,925.0

 

24,891.9

 

5,210.8

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

 

(3.4)

 

(38.4)

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

(8.5)

 

0.2

 

(1.5)

 

(1.7)

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

26,888.4

 

4,925.2

 

24,887.0

 

5,170.7

Interest accrual

 

608.6

 

99.9

 

1,135.1

 

208.4

Benefit payments

 

(1,212.8)

 

(248.0)

 

(2,238.1)

 

(500.2)

Issuances

 

1,257.4

 

13.9

 

3,112.9

 

46.1

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

27,541.6

 

4,791.0

 

26,896.9

 

4,925.0

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

(1,542.5)

 

(343.7)

 

(1,938.8)

 

(420.4)

Future policy benefits

 

25,999.1

 

4,447.3

 

24,958.1

 

4,504.6

Reinsurance impact

 

 

(4,403.6)

 

 

(4,469.4)

Future policy benefits after reinsurance

$

25,999.1

$

43.7

$

24,958.1

$

35.2

Weighted-average duration for future policy benefits (years) (1)

 

8.0

 

7.1

 

8.0

 

7.2

(1)Represents the average of the cohort-level duration of the benefit cash flows weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort.

Principal Asset Management – International Pension

The balances and the changes in the present value for expected future policy benefits for Latin America – Individual fixed income annuities were as follows:

    

For the six months ended

    

For the year ended

June 30, 2025

December 31, 2024

 

($ in millions)

Present value of expected future policy benefit payments

 

  

 

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

4,126.9

$

4,593.7

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

(368.4)

 

(351.8)

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

3,758.5

 

4,241.9

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

(0.1)

 

1.1

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

3,758.4

 

4,243.0

Interest accrual (1)

 

167.2

 

330.2

Benefit payments

 

(166.4)

 

(326.7)

Issuances

 

5.8

 

29.4

Foreign currency translation adjustment

 

245.3

 

(517.4)

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

4,010.3

 

3,758.5

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

397.6

 

368.4

Future policy benefits

$

4,407.9

$

4,126.9

Weighted-average duration for future policy benefits (years) (2)

 

9.6

 

9.8

(1)Includes inflation adjustments.
(2)Represents the average of the cohort-level duration of the benefit cash flows weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort.

Benefits and Protection

The balances and the changes in the present value for expected net premiums and expected future policy benefits were as follows:

For the six months ended

For the year ended

June 30, 2025

December 31, 2024

Specialty

Life

Specialty

Life

Benefits

Insurance

Benefits

Insurance

Individual

Individual

    

disability

    

Term life

    

disability

    

Term life

($ in millions)

Present value of expected net premiums

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

2,680.6

$

4,107.2

$

2,552.3

$

3,793.7

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

436.4

 

290.1

 

313.7

 

100.1

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

3,117.0

 

4,397.3

 

2,866.0

 

3,893.8

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

 

183.9

 

419.9

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

57.0

 

2.3

 

168.3

 

42.5

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

3,174.0

 

4,399.6

 

3,218.2

 

4,356.2

Interest accrual

 

54.3

 

101.9

 

103.5

 

190.9

Net premiums collected

 

(147.5)

 

(206.1)

 

(289.1)

 

(390.8)

Issuances

 

35.3

 

110.3

 

84.4

 

241.0

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

3,116.1

 

4,405.7

 

3,117.0

 

4,397.3

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

(386.5)

 

(222.4)

 

(436.4)

 

(290.1)

Balance at end of period

$

2,729.6

$

4,183.3

$

2,680.6

$

4,107.2

Present value of expected future policy benefit payments

 

 

 

  

 

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

4,509.6

$

5,355.2

$

4,450.7

$

4,879.6

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

1,302.8

 

366.0

 

903.5

 

124.5

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

5,812.4

 

5,721.2

 

5,354.2

 

5,004.1

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

 

216.2

 

488.1

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

57.1

 

(4.9)

 

173.2

 

45.1

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

5,869.5

 

5,716.3

 

5,743.6

 

5,537.3

Interest accrual

 

106.3

 

133.5

 

203.3

 

247.9

Benefit payments

 

(112.4)

 

(168.7)

 

(219.0)

 

(321.6)

Issuances

 

34.6

 

116.8

 

84.5

 

257.6

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

5,898.0

 

5,797.9

 

5,812.4

 

5,721.2

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

(1,253.4)

 

(265.6)

 

(1,302.8)

 

(366.0)

Balance at end of period

$

4,644.6

$

5,532.3

$

4,509.6

$

5,355.2

Future policy benefits (1)

$

1,915.0

$

1,349.0

$

1,829.0

$

1,248.0

Reinsurance impact

 

(426.0)

 

23.2

 

(412.1)

 

19.5

Future policy benefits after reinsurance

$

1,489.0

$

1,372.2

$

1,416.9

$

1,267.5

Weighted-average duration for future policy benefits (years) (2)

 

17.7

 

8.1

 

18.3

 

8.4

(1)Represents the present value of expected future policy benefit payments less the present value of expected net premiums.
(2)Represents the average of the cohort-level duration of the benefits less the net premium cash flows weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort.

We updated our actuarial assumptions during the third quarter of 2024, resulting in a $32.3 million increase in the LFPB and an $18.2 million decrease to income before taxes, net of reinsurance, for Individual disability. This was primarily due to unfavorable updates to termination and lapse assumptions. The updates also resulted in a $68.2 million increase in the LFPB and a $52.9 million decrease to income before taxes, net of reinsurance, for Term life. This was primarily due to unfavorable updates to mortality and lapse assumptions.

Additional Liability for Certain Benefit Features

The LFPB also includes an additional reserve on certain universal life contracts where benefit features result in gains in early years followed by losses in later years. The liability for these future losses is accrued in relation to estimated contract assessments. A premium deficiency exists if the net liabilities together with future premiums are determined to be insufficient to provide for expected future policy benefits. Premium deficiency testing considers, among other factors, anticipated investment income and does not include a provision for adverse deviation. We did not have a premium deficiency reserve as of June 30, 2025 or December 31, 2024.

The balances and the changes in the additional liability for certain benefit features for Life Insurance - Universal life contracts, excluding the impact of unrealized gains (losses), were as follows:

For the six months ended

For the year ended

    

June 30, 2025

    

December 31, 2024

($ in millions)

Balance at beginning of period

$

6,037.2

$

5,326.5

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

151.9

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

9.0

 

28.0

Interest accrual

 

138.3

 

253.3

Net assessments collected

 

213.5

 

425.2

Benefit payments

 

(94.9)

 

(147.7)

Balance at end of period

 

6,303.1

 

6,037.2

Reinsurance impact

 

(6,287.5)

 

(6,011.3)

Balance at end of period after reinsurance

$

15.6

$

25.9

Weighted-average duration for additional liability (years) (1)

 

22.4

 

23.3

(1)Represents the average of the cohort-level duration of the benefits less the net assessment cash flows weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort.

We updated our actuarial assumptions during the third quarter of 2024, resulting in a $151.9 million increase in the additional liability for certain benefit features primarily due to mortality assumptions related to ULSG products, resulting in a $0.3 million decrease to income before taxes, net of reinsurance.

Corporate

The balances and the changes in the present value for expected net premiums and expected future policy benefits for long-term care insurance were as follows:

For the six months ended

For the year ended

June 30, 2025

December 31, 2024

($ in millions)

Present value of expected net premiums

    

  

    

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

30.8

$

42.8

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

(1.3)

 

(3.0)

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

29.5

 

39.8

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

(5.3)

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

0.4

 

(2.2)

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

29.9

 

32.3

Interest accrual

 

0.9

 

1.9

Net premiums collected

 

(2.5)

 

(4.7)

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

28.3

 

29.5

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

1.7

 

1.3

Balance at end of period

$

30.0

$

30.8

Present value of expected future policy benefit payments

 

 

  

Balance at beginning of period

$

195.6

$

209.5

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at beginning of period

 

(8.8)

 

(20.0)

Balance at beginning of period at original discount rate

 

186.8

 

189.5

Effect of changes in cash flow assumptions

 

 

(1.2)

Effect of actual variances from expected experience

 

1.2

 

2.5

Adjusted beginning of period balance at original discount rate

 

188.0

 

190.8

Interest accrual

 

5.6

 

11.2

Benefit payments

 

(7.9)

 

(15.2)

Balance at end of period at original discount rate

 

185.7

 

186.8

Effect of changes in discount rate assumptions at end of period

 

11.0

 

8.8

Balance at end of period

$

196.7

$

195.6

Future policy benefits (1)

$

166.7

$

164.8

Reinsurance impact

 

(166.7)

 

(164.8)

Future policy benefits after reinsurance

$

$

Weighted-average duration for future policy benefits (years) (2)

 

9.1

 

9.3

(1)Represents the present value of expected future policy benefit payments less the present value of expected net premiums.
(2)Represents the average of cohort-level duration of the benefits less the net premium cash flows weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort.

Expected Future Gross Premiums and Benefit Payments

The amounts of expected undiscounted future benefit payments, expected undiscounted future gross premiums and expected discounted future gross premiums, utilizing the current upper-medium fixed-income instrument yield, were as follows:

    

June 30, 2025

    

December 31, 2024

 

(in millions)

Retirement and Income Solutions:

 

  

 

  

Pension risk transfer

 

  

 

  

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

40,756.9

 

$

39,532.3

Individual fixed income annuities

 

 

  

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

6,413.9

 

$

6,622.6

Principal Asset Management International Pension:

 

 

  

Latin America:

Individual fixed income annuities

 

 

  

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

5,841.6

 

$

5,509.1

Benefits and Protection – Specialty Benefits:

 

 

  

Individual disability

 

 

  

Expected discounted future gross premiums

$

5,588.0

 

$

5,484.0

Expected undiscounted future gross premiums

$

8,693.9

 

$

8,680.0

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

9,925.1

 

$

9,808.8

Benefits and Protection – Life Insurance:

 

 

  

Term life

 

 

  

Expected discounted future gross premiums

$

6,821.1

 

$

6,651.2

Expected undiscounted future gross premiums

$

11,533.7

 

$

11,391.4

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

9,066.8

 

$

8,970.7

Corporate:

 

 

  

Long-term care insurance

 

 

  

Expected discounted future gross premiums

$

36.7

$

38.4

Expected undiscounted future gross premiums

$

52.3

 

$

55.7

Expected undiscounted future benefit payments

$

351.4

 

$

357.3

Interest Accretion and Current Discount Rates

The interest accretion rate shown for each level of aggregation is an average of the cohort-level accretion rates weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort within that level of aggregation. The current discount rate is calculated at a cohort-level based on current upper-medium fixed-income instrument yields and weighted by the reserve balance for each cohort within each level of aggregation. The weighted-average rates were as follows:

Interest accretion rate

Current discount rate

 

    

June 30, 2025

    

December 31, 2024

    

June 30, 2025

    

December 31, 2024

 

Retirement and Income Solutions:

 

  

 

  

 

  

 

  

Pension risk transfer

 

4.66

%  

4.61

%  

5.38

%  

5.55

%

Individual fixed income annuities

 

4.22

%  

4.22

%  

5.28

%  

5.50

%

Principal Asset Management – International Pension (1):

 

 

  

 

 

  

Latin America:

 

Individual fixed income annuities

4.20

%  

4.21

%  

3.01

%  

3.04

%

Benefits and Protection:

 

 

 

 

  

Specialty Benefits:

 

 

 

 

  

Individual disability

 

3.86

%  

3.89

%  

5.51

%  

5.64

%

Life Insurance:

 

 

  

 

 

  

Universal life

 

4.74

%  

4.75

%  

See note (2)

 

See note (2)

Term life

 

4.81

%  

4.82

%  

4.99

%  

5.35

%

Corporate:

 

 

 

 

  

Long-term care insurance

 

6.16

%  

6.16

%  

5.41

%  

5.58

%

(1)The interest accretion rate and current discount rate are Chilean real rates, excluding inflation, in the local currency.
(2)The additional liability for certain benefit features for Life Insurance – Universal life is measured using the discount rate at contract inception. Therefore, the current discount rate is not applicable for this product.