AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC

14. Market Risk Benefits

MRBs are defined as contracts or contract features that both provide protection to the contract holder from other-than-nominal capital market risk and expose AIG to other-than nominal capital market risk. The MRB represents an amount that a policyholder receives in addition to the account balance upon the occurrence of a specific event or circumstance, such as death, annuitization, or periodic withdrawal that involves protection from other-than-nominal capital market risk. Certain contract features, such as GMWBs, GMDBs and guaranteed minimum income benefits (GMIBs) commonly found in variable, fixed index and fixed annuities, are MRBs. MRBs are assessed at contract inception using a non-option method involving attributed fees that results in an initial fair value of zero or an option method that results in a fair value greater than zero.

MRBs are recorded at fair value, and AIG applies a non-option attributed fee valuation method for variable annuity products, and an option-based valuation method (host offset) for both fixed index and fixed products. Under the non-option valuation method, the attributed fee is determined at contract inception; it cannot exceed the total contract fees and assessments collectible from the contract holder and cannot be less than zero. Investment margin is excluded from the attributed fee determination. Under the option-based valuation method, an offset to the host amount related to the MRB amount is established at inception. Changes in the fair value of MRBs are recorded in net income in Changes in the fair value of market risk benefits, net except for the portion of the fair value change attributable to our own credit risk, which is recognized in OCI. MRBs are derecognized when the underlying contract is surrendered, a GMDB is incurred, a GMIB is annuitized, or when the account value is exhausted on a policy with a GMWB. Generally when a policyholder elects to annuitize a GMIB rider or the account value on a policy with a GMWB rider is reduced to zero, the policy is converted to a payout annuity automatically. When a conversion occurs, the policyholder is issued a new payout annuity contract. At this point, the MRB is derecognized and a LFPB is established for the payout annuity.

Assumptions used to determine the MRB asset (including ceded MRBs) or liability generally include mortality rates that are based upon actual experience modified to allow for variations in policy form; lapse rates that are based upon actual experience modified to allow for variations in policy features; and investment returns, based on stochastically generated scenarios. We evaluate at least annually estimates used to determine the MRB asset or liability and adjust the balance, with a related charge or credit to Change in fair value of MRBs, net, if actual experience or other evidence suggests that earlier assumptions should be revised. In addition, MRBs are valued such that the current provision for nonperformance risk is reflected in the claims cash flows of the asset or liability valuation for direct MRBs. The nonperformance risk spread at contract issue is locked-in. The difference between the MRB valued using the at issue nonperformance risk spread and the current nonperformance risk spread is reported through OCI, while changes in the counterparty credit risk related to ceded MRBs are reported in income.

Changes in the fair value of MRBs, netrepresents changes in the fair value of market risk benefit liabilities and assets (with the exception of our own credit risk changes), and includes attributed rider fees and benefits, net of changes in the fair value of derivative instruments and fixed maturity securities that are used to economically hedge market risk from the variable annuity GMWB riders.

The following table presents the transition rollforward of MRBs:

(a)Adjustments for the reclassification from Policyholder contract deposits represents certain contract guarantees (e.g., GMWBs) that were previously classified as embedded derivatives, but have been reclassified as MRBs as of January 1, 2021, and the related host impact. The impact on Retained earnings or AOCI resulting from the simultaneous remeasurement of the guarantee as a market risk benefit is reflected in the lines below.

(b)Adjustments for the reclassification from Future policy benefits represents contract guarantees (e.g., GMDBs) that were previously classified as insurance liabilities within Future policy benefits, but have been reclassified as MRBs as of January 1, 2021. The impact on Retained earnings or AOCI resulting from the simultaneous remeasurement of the guarantee as a market risk benefit is reflected in the lines below.

(c)Adjustments for the cumulative effect of the changes to our own credit risk between the original contract issuance date and the Transition Date are recognized in AOCI.

(d)Adjustment for the removal of related balances in AOCI originating from unrealized gains (losses) with an offset to AOCI relate to the additional liabilities reclassified from Future policy benefits in the line above.

(e)Adjustment for the remaining difference represents the measurement of MRBs at fair value, excluding the impact of our own credit risk with an offset to Retained earnings.

The following is a reconciliation of MRBs by amounts in an asset position and in liability position to the MRB amounts in the Consolidated Balance Sheets at transition:

The following table presents the balances of and changes in MRBs:

*Certain contracts contain both guaranteed GMDB and GMWB features and are modeled together for the purposes of calculating the MRB.

The following is a reconciliation of MRBs by amounts in an asset position and in a liability position to the MRBs amount in the Consolidated Balance Sheets:

*Cash flows and attributed fees for MRBs are determined on a policy level basis and are reported based on their asset or liability position at the balance sheet date.

For additional information related to fair value measurements of MRBs, see Note 5.

ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTION UPDATES FOR MARKET RISK BENEFITS

In 2023, the life insurance companies recognized a favorable impact to net income due to policyholder behavior assumptions. In 2022, the life insurance companies recognized a favorable impact to net income due to an update to the relationship between projected equity growth and interest rates for annuities. For 2021, the impacts were mainly due to updating the lapse rate expectations.

ANNUITY GUARANTEES

Annuity contracts may include certain contractually guaranteed benefits to the contract holder. These guaranteed features include GMDBs that are payable in the event of death and living benefits that are payable when partial withdrawals exhaust a policy’s account value, in the event of annuitization, or, in other instances, at specified dates during the accumulation period. Living benefits primarily include GMWBs. A variable annuity contract may include more than one type of guaranteed benefit feature; for example, it may have both GMDB and GMWB. However, a policyholder can only receive payout from one guaranteed feature on a contract containing a death benefit and a living benefit, i.e., the features are mutually exclusive (except a surviving spouse who has a rider to potentially collect both GMDB upon their spouse’s death and GMWB during their lifetime). A policyholder cannot purchase more than one living benefit on one contract. The net amount at risk for each feature is calculated irrespective of the existence of other features; as a result, the net amount at risk for each feature is not additive to that of other features.

Guaranteed Benefits on Variable Annuities

The GMDB feature may provide a death benefit of either (a) total deposits made to the contract, less any partial withdrawals plus a minimum return (and in rare instances, no minimum return), (b) return of premium whereby the benefit is the greater of the current account value or premiums paid less any partial withdrawals, (c) rollups whereby the benefit is the greater of current account value or premiums paid (adjusted for withdrawals) accumulated at contractually specified rates up to specified ages, or (d) the highest contract value attained, typically on any anniversary date less any subsequent withdrawals following the contract anniversary.

Certain of our variable annuity contracts contain GMDB features and may also contain living benefit riders, which include optional GMWBs and, to a lesser extent, GMABs and GMIBs. These living benefits and GMDBs related to variable annuity contracts are accounted for as MRBs measured at fair value, with changes in the fair value (excluding changes in our own credit risk) recorded in Change in the fair value of MRBs, net. The net amount at risk for the GMWB represents benefits in excess of the account value assuming the utilization of all benefits by the contract holders at the balance sheet date. The net amount at risk for the GMDB feature represents the amount of guaranteed benefits in excess of account value if all policyholders died. GMDB is our most widely offered benefit.

Guaranteed Benefits on Fixed Index and Fixed Annuities

Certain of our fixed annuity and fixed index annuity contracts, which are not offered through separate accounts, contain optional GMWBs. With a GMWB, the contract holder can monetize the excess of the guaranteed amount over the account value of the contract through a series of withdrawals that do not exceed a specific percentage per year of the guaranteed amount. Once the account value is exhausted, the contract holder will receive a series of annuity payments equal to the remaining guaranteed amount; for lifetime GMWB products, the annuity payments continue as long as the covered person(s) is living. The liability for GMWBs in fixed annuity and fixed index annuity contracts, which are recorded in MRBs, represents the expected value of benefits in excess of the projected account value, with the excess (excluding changes in our own credit risk) recognized at fair value through Change in the fair value of MRBs, net.

The liability for all of our GMWBs in fixed annuity and fixed index annuity contracts are accounted for as MRBs.

For a discussion of the fair value measurement of guaranteed benefits that are accounted for as MRBs, see Note 5.