v3.26.1
Reinsurance
6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2026
Reinsurance Disclosures [Abstract]  
Reinsurance
Note 8 – Reinsurance
The Company's insurance subsidiaries enter into agreements with other insurance companies to limit losses from large exposures and to permit recovery of a portion of incurred losses. Reinsurance is ceded primarily in acquisition and disposition transactions when the underwriting company is not being acquired. Reinsurance does not relieve the originating insurer of liability. Therefore, reinsured liabilities must continue to be reported along with the related reinsurance recoverables. The Company regularly evaluates the financial condition of its reinsurers and monitors concentrations of its credit risk.
The majority of the Company's reinsurance recoverables resulted from acquisition and disposition transactions in which the underwriting company was not acquired. The Company bears the risk of loss if its reinsurers and retrocessionaires do not meet or are unable to meet their reinsurance obligations to the Company. The Company reviews its reinsurance arrangements and establishes reserves against the recoverables primarily for expected credit losses.
The Company's reinsurance recoverables as of June 30, 2026 are presented at amount due by range of external credit rating and collateral level in the following table, with reinsurance recoverables that are market risk benefits separately presented at fair value:
(In millions)
Fair Value of Collateral Contractually Required to Meet or Exceed Carrying Value of Recoverable
Collateral Provisions Exist That May Mitigate Risk of Credit Loss (1)
No CollateralTotal
Ongoing operations
A- equivalent and higher current ratings (2)
$ $5 $256 $261 
BBB- to BBB+ equivalent current credit ratings (2)
  64 64 
Not rated77 5 4 86 
Acquisition, disposition or run-off activities
BBB+ equivalent and higher current ratings (2)(3)
269 2,762 23 3,054 
Not rated 5 1 6 
Total reinsurance recoverables before market risk benefits$346 $2,777 $348 $3,471 
Allowance for uncollectible reinsurance(22)
Market risk benefits650 
Total reinsurance recoverables (4)
$4,099 
(1)Includes collateral provisions requiring the reinsurer to fully collateralize its obligation if its external credit rating is downgraded to a specified level.
(2)Certified by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization ("NRSRO").
(3)Comprised of six reinsurers, of which 77% is held by two reinsurers, Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and Lincoln Life and Annuity Company of New York.
(4)Includes $117 million of current reinsurance recoverables that are reported in Other current assets.
The Company entered into an agreement with Berkshire to effectively exit the variable annuity reinsurance business via a reinsurance transaction in 2013. Variable annuity contracts are accounted for as assumed and ceded reinsurance and categorized as market risk benefits as discussed in Note 7 to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Berkshire reinsured 100% of the Company's future cash flows in this business, net of other reinsurance arrangements existing at that time. The reinsurance agreement is subject to an overall limit, with approximately $3.0 billion remaining as of June 30, 2026. As a result of the reinsurance transaction, amounts payable are offset by a corresponding reinsurance recoverable, provided the increased recoverable remains within the overall Berkshire limit. As of both June 30, 2026 and 2025, market risk benefits (shown in the table net of nonperformance risk as of June 30, 2026) were predominantly reinsured by Berkshire, which is rated AA+ by an NRSRO. As of June 30, 2026, approximately 100% of the Berkshire recoverable is secured by assets in a trust.