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| AMP > SEC Filings for AMP > Form 10-K on 2-Mar-2009 | All Recent SEC Filings |
2-Mar-2009
Annual Report
The following discussion and analysis of our consolidated financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with the "Forward-Looking Statements," our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes that follow and the "Consolidated Five-Year Summary of Selected Financial Data" and the "Risk Factors" included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain key terms and abbreviations are defined in the Glossary of Selected Terminology.
Overview
We are engaged in providing financial planning, products and services that are designed to be utilized as solutions for our clients' cash and liquidity, asset accumulation, income, protection and estate and wealth transfer needs. As of December 31, 2008, we had a network of more than 12,400 financial advisors and registered representatives ("affiliated financial advisors"). In addition to serving clients through our affiliated financial advisors, our asset management, annuity, and auto and home protection products are distributed through third-party advisors and affinity relationships.
We deliver solutions to our clients through an approach focused on building long-term personal relationships between our advisors and clients. We offer financial planning and advice that are responsive to our clients' evolving needs and helps them achieve their identified financial goals by recommending actions and a range of product "solutions" consisting of investment, annuities, insurance, banking and other financial products that help them attain over time a return or form of protection while accepting what they determine to be an appropriate range and level of risk. The financial product solutions we offer through our affiliated advisors include both our own products and services and products of other companies. Our financial planning and advisory process is designed to provide comprehensive advice, when appropriate, to address our clients' cash and liquidity, asset accumulation, income, protection, and estate and wealth transfer needs. We believe that our focus on personal relationships, together with our strengths in financial planning and product development, allows us to better address our clients' financial needs, including the financial needs of our primary target market segment, the mass affluent and affluent, which we define as households with investable assets of more than $100,000. This focus also puts us in a strong position to capitalize on significant demographic and market trends, which we believe will continue to drive increased demand for our financial planning and other financial services. Deep client-advisor relationships are central to the ability of our business model to succeed through market cycles, including the extreme market conditions that persisted through 2008.
We have four main operating segments: Advice & Wealth Management, Asset Management, Annuities and Protection, as well as our Corporate & Other segment. Our four main operating segments are aligned with the financial solutions we offer to address our clients' needs. The products and services we provide retail clients and, to a lesser extent, institutional clients, are the primary source of our revenues and net income. Revenues and net income are significantly impacted by investment performance and the total value and composition of assets we manage and administer for our retail and institutional clients as well as the distribution fees we receive from other companies. These factors, in turn, are largely determined by overall investment market performance and the depth and breadth of our individual client relationships.
Equity market, credit market and interest rate fluctuations can have a significant impact on our results of operations, primarily due to the effects they have on the asset management and other asset-based fees we earn, the "spread" income generated on our annuities, banking and deposit products and universal life ("UL") insurance products, the value of deferred acquisition costs ("DAC") and deferred sales inducement costs ("DSIC") assets associated with variable annuity and variable UL products, the values of liabilities for guaranteed benefits associated with our variable annuities and the values of derivatives held to hedge these benefits. For additional information regarding our sensitivity to equity risk and interest rate risk, see "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk."
It is management's priority to increase shareholder value over a multi-year horizon by achieving our on-average, over-time financial targets. Our financial targets are:
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º Net revenue growth of 6% to 8%,
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º Earnings per diluted share growth of 12% to 15%, and
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º Return on equity of 12% to 15%.
Our net revenues for the year ended December 31, 2008 were $7.0 billion, a decrease of $1.6 billion, or 19%, from the prior year period. This revenue decline primarily reflects the unprecedented impacts of the credit market events that occurred during the last few weeks of September and the fourth quarter of 2008. The majority of the impacts from the credit market events have been reflected in net investment income, which decreased $1.2 billion, or 59%, from the prior year period. The credit market events and weak equity markets also negatively impacted management and financial advice fees and distribution fees.
Our consolidated net loss for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $38 million, a decline of $852 million from our consolidated net income of $814 million for the year ended December 31, 2007. Loss per share for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $0.17, compared to earnings per diluted share of $3.39 for the prior year period.
We continue to establish Ameriprise Financial as a financial services leader as we focus on meeting the financial needs of the mass affluent and affluent, as evidenced by our continued leadership in financial planning and our strong corporate foundation. Our franchisee advisor and client retention remain strong at 92% and 94%, respectively, as of December 31, 2008. Branded financial plan net cash sales for the year ended December 31, 2008 increased 4% compared to the year-ago period.
Our owned, managed and administered ("OMA") assets declined to $372.1 billion at December 31, 2008, a net decrease of 22% from December 31, 2007, reflecting the 38% decline in the S&P 500 Index from the prior year period, partially offset by the addition of $36.9 billion in assets from the completion of our acquisitions during the fourth quarter of 2008.
In the fourth quarter of 2008, we completed the all cash acquisitions of H&R Block Financial Advisors, Inc., subsequently renamed Ameriprise Advisor Services, Inc. ("AASI"), J. & W. Seligman & Co., Incorporated ("Seligman") and Brecek & Young Advisors, Inc. to expand our retail distribution and asset management businesses. The cost of the acquisitions was $787 million, which included the purchase price and transaction costs. We recorded the assets and liabilities acquired at fair value and allocated the remaining costs to goodwill and intangible assets. Integration charges of $19 million were included in general and administrative expense for the year ended December 31, 2008.
Goodwill Impairment Testing
In addition to our annual impairment evaluation for goodwill as of July 1, we evaluated goodwill for impairment in the fourth quarter of 2008 due to the unprecedented credit and equity market events. We concluded our goodwill was not impaired.
Share Repurchase Program
During the years ended December 31, 2008 and 2007, we purchased 12.7 million shares and 15.9 million shares, respectively, for an aggregate cost of $614 million and $948 million, respectively. In April 2008, our Board of Directors authorized the expenditure of up to $1.5 billion for the repurchase of our common stock through April 2010. As of December 31, 2008, we had $1.3 billion remaining under this share repurchase authorization. In light of the current market environment, we have temporarily suspended our stock repurchase program. We may resume activity under our stock repurchase program and begin repurchasing shares in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions from time to time without notice. We reserve the right to suspend any such repurchases and to resume later repurchasing at any time, and expressly disclaim any obligation to maintain or lift any such suspension.
Separation from American Express
On February 1, 2005, the American Express Board of Directors announced its intention to pursue the disposition of 100% of its shareholdings in our company (the "Separation") through a tax-free distribution to American Express shareholders. Effective as of the close of business on September 30, 2005, American Express completed the Separation of our company and the distribution of our common shares to American Express shareholders (the "Distribution"). Prior to the Distribution, we had been a wholly owned subsidiary of American Express. Our separation from American Express resulted in specifically identifiable impacts to our 2007 and 2006 consolidated results of operations and financial condition.
We incurred a total of $890 million of non-recurring separation costs as part of our separation from American Express. These costs were primarily associated with establishing the Ameriprise Financial brand, separating and reestablishing our technology platforms and advisor and employee retention programs. Our separation from American Express was completed in 2007.
Critical Accounting Policies
The accounting and reporting policies that we use affect our Consolidated Financial Statements. Certain of our accounting and reporting policies are critical to an understanding of our results of operations and financial condition and, in some cases, the application of these policies can be significantly affected by the estimates, judgments and assumptions made by management during the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements. The accounting and reporting policies we have identified as fundamental to a full understanding of our results of operations and financial condition are described below. See Note 2 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further information about our accounting policies.
Valuation of Investments
The most significant component of our investments is our Available-for-Sale securities, which we generally carry at fair value within our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The fair value of our Available-for-Sale securities at December 31, 2008 was primarily obtained from third-party pricing sources. We record unrealized securities gains (losses) in accumulated other
comprehensive income (loss), net of income tax provision (benefit) and net of adjustments in other asset and liability balances, such as DAC, to reflect the expected impact on their carrying values had the unrealized securities gains (losses) been realized as of the respective balance sheet dates. At December 31, 2008, we had net unrealized pretax losses on Available-for-Sale securities of $1.8 billion. We recognize gains and losses in results of operations upon disposition of the securities. We also recognize losses in results of operations when management determines that a decline in value is other-than-temporary. A write-down for impairment can be recognized for both credit-related events and for change in fair value due to changes in interest rates. Once a security is written down to fair value through net income, any subsequent recovery in value cannot be recognized in net income until the principal is returned. The determination of other-than-temporary impairment requires the exercise of judgment regarding the amount and timing of recovery. Factors we consider in determining whether declines in the fair value of fixed-maturity securities are other-than-temporary include: 1) the extent to which the market value is below amortized cost; 2) our ability and intent to hold the investment for a sufficient period of time for it to recover to an amount at least equal to its carrying value; 3) the duration of time in which there has been a significant decline in value; 4) fundamental analysis of the liquidity, business prospects and overall financial condition of the issuer; and 5) market events that could impact credit ratings, economic and business climate, litigation and government actions, and similar external business factors. For structured investments (e.g., mortgage backed securities), the Company also considers factors such as overall deal structure and our position within the structure, quality of underlying collateral, delinquencies and defaults, loss severities, recoveries, prepayments, cumulative loss projections and discounted cash flows in assessing potential other-than-temporary impairment of these investments. Based upon these factors, securities that have indicators of potential other-than-temporary impairment are subject to detailed review by management. In response to the market dislocation in the fourth quarter of 2008 and expectations of continued dislocation in 2009, management increased the discount rate, expected loss and severity rates used to value non-agency residential mortgage backed securities and increased the expected default rates for high yield corporate credits. Securities for which declines are considered temporary continue to be carefully monitored by management. As of December 31, 2008, we had $2.1 billion in gross unrealized losses that related to $14.2 billion of Available-for-Sale securities, of which $5.9 billion have been in a continuous unrealized loss position for 12 months or more. These investment securities had an overall ratio of 87% of fair value to amortized cost at December 31, 2008. As part of our ongoing monitoring process, management determined that a majority of the gross unrealized losses on these securities were attributable to changes in interest rates and credit spreads across asset classes. Additionally, because we have the ability as well as the intent to hold these securities for a time sufficient to recover our amortized cost, we concluded that none of these securities were other-than-temporarily impaired at December 31, 2008.
Deferred Acquisition Costs and Deferred Sales Inducement Costs
For our annuity and life, disability income and long term care insurance products, our DAC and DSIC balances at any reporting date are supported by projections that show management expects there to be adequate premiums or estimated gross profits after that date to amortize the remaining DAC and DSIC balances. These projections are inherently uncertain because they require management to make assumptions about financial markets, anticipated mortality and morbidity levels and policyholder behavior over periods extending well into the future. Projection periods used for our annuity products are typically 10 to 25 years, while projection periods for our life, disability income and long term care insurance products are often 50 years or longer. Management regularly monitors financial market conditions and actual policyholder behavior experience and compares them to its assumptions.
For annuity and universal life insurance products, the assumptions made in projecting future results and calculating the DAC balance and DAC amortization expense are management's best estimates. Management is required to update these assumptions whenever it appears that, based on actual experience or other evidence, earlier estimates should be revised. When assumptions are changed, the percentage of estimated gross profits used to amortize DAC might also change. A change in the required amortization percentage is applied retrospectively; an increase in amortization percentage will result in a decrease in the DAC balance and an increase in DAC amortization expense, while a decrease in amortization percentage will result in an increase in the DAC balance and a decrease in DAC amortization expense. The impact on results of operations of changing assumptions can be either positive or negative in any particular period and is reflected in the period in which such changes are made. For products with associated DSIC, the same policy applies in calculating the DSIC balance and periodic DSIC amortization.
For other life, disability income and long term care insurance products, the assumptions made in calculating our DAC balance and DAC amortization expense are consistent with those used in determining the liabilities and, therefore, are intended to provide for adverse deviations in experience and are revised only if management concludes experience will be so adverse that DAC are not recoverable. If management concludes that DAC are not recoverable, DAC are reduced to the amount that is recoverable based on best estimate assumptions and there is a corresponding expense recorded in our consolidated results of operations.
For annuity and life, disability income and long term care insurance products, key assumptions underlying these long-term projections include interest rates (both earning rates on invested assets and rates credited to contractholder and policyholder
accounts), equity market performance, mortality and morbidity rates and the rates at which policyholders are expected to surrender their contracts, make withdrawals from their contracts and make additional deposits to their contracts. Assumptions about earned and credited interest rates are the primary factors used to project interest margins, while assumptions about equity and bond market performance are the primary factors used to project client asset value growth rates, and assumptions about surrenders, withdrawals and deposits comprise projected persistency rates. Management must also make assumptions to project maintenance expenses associated with servicing our annuity and insurance businesses during the DAC amortization period.
The client asset value growth rates are the rates at which variable annuity and variable universal life insurance contract values invested in separate accounts are assumed to appreciate in the future. The rates used vary by equity and fixed income investments. Management reviews and, where appropriate, adjusts its assumptions with respect to client asset value growth rates on a regular basis. We typically use a mean reversion process as a guideline in setting near-term equity asset growth rates based on a long-term view of financial market performance as well as recent actual performance. The suggested near- term growth rate is reviewed to ensure consistency with management's assessment of anticipated equity market performance. In the fourth quarter of 2008, we decided to constrain near-term equity growth rates below the level suggested by mean reversion. This constraint is based on our analysis of historical equity returns following downturns in the market. Our long-term client asset value growth rates are based on assumed gross annual returns of 9% for equities and 6.5% for fixed income securities. If we increased or decreased our assumptions related to these growth rates by 100 basis points, the impact on the DAC and DSIC balances would be an increase or decrease of approximately $30 million.
We monitor other principal DAC and DSIC amortization assumptions, such as persistency, mortality, morbidity, interest margin and maintenance expense levels each quarter and, when assessed independently, each could impact our DAC and DSIC balances.
The analysis of DAC and DSIC balances and the corresponding amortization is a dynamic process that considers all relevant factors and assumptions described previously. Unless management identifies a significant deviation over the course of the quarterly monitoring, management reviews and updates these DAC and DSIC amortization assumptions annually in the third quarter of each year. An assessment of sensitivity associated with changes in any single assumption would not necessarily be an indicator of future results.
We adopted American Institute of Certified Public Accountants ("AICPA") Statement of Position ("SOP") 05-1, "Accounting by Insurance Enterprises for Deferred Acquisition Costs in Connection With Modifications or Exchanges of Insurance Contracts" ("SOP 05-1") on January 1, 2007. See Note 2 and Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information about the effect of our adoption of SOP 05-1 and our accounting policies for the amortization and capitalization of DAC. In periods prior to 2007, our policy had been to treat certain internal replacement transactions as continuations and to continue amortization of DAC associated with the existing contract against revenues from the new contract. For details regarding the balances of and changes in DAC for the years ended December 31, 2008, 2007 and 2006 see Note 8 to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Liabilities for Future Policy Benefits and Policy Claims and Other Policyholders' Funds
Fixed Annuities and Variable Annuity Guarantees
Future policy benefits and policy claims and other policyholders' funds related to fixed annuities and variable annuity guarantees include liabilities for fixed account values on fixed and variable deferred annuities, guaranteed benefits associated with variable annuities, equity indexed annuities and fixed annuities in a payout status.
Liabilities for fixed account values on fixed and variable deferred annuities are equal to accumulation values, which are the cumulative gross deposits and credited interest less withdrawals and various charges.
The majority of the variable annuity contracts offered by us contain guaranteed minimum death benefit ("GMDB") provisions. When market values of the customer's accounts decline, the death benefit payable on a contract with a GMDB may exceed the contract accumulation value. The Company also offers variable annuities with death benefit provisions that gross up the amount payable by a certain percentage of contract earnings which are referred to as gain gross-up benefits. In addition, the Company offers contracts with guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit ("GMWB") and guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit ("GMAB") provisions and, until May 2007, the Company offered contracts containing guaranteed minimum income benefit ("GMIB") provisions. As a result of the recent market decline, the amount by which guarantees exceed the accumulation value has increased significantly.
In determining the liabilities for variable annuity death benefits, GMIB and the life contingent benefits associated with GMWB, we project these benefits and contract assessments using actuarial models to simulate various equity market scenarios. Significant assumptions made in projecting future benefits and assessments relate to customer asset value growth rates, mortality, persistency and investment margins and are consistent with those used for DAC asset valuation for the same contracts. As with DAC, management will review, and where appropriate, adjust its assumptions each quarter. Unless
management identifies a material deviation over the course of quarterly monitoring, management will review and update these assumptions annually in the third quarter of each year. In response to the market dislocation in the fourth quarter of 2008 and expectations of continued dislocation in 2009, management lowered future variable annuity and variable universal life profit expectations based on continued depreciation in contract values and historical equity market return patterns.
The variable annuity death benefit liability is determined by estimating the expected value of death benefits in excess of the projected contract accumulation value and recognizing the excess over the estimated meaningful life based on expected assessments (e.g., mortality and expense fees, contractual administrative charges and similar fees).
If elected by the contract owner and after a stipulated waiting period from contract issuance, a GMIB guarantees a minimum lifetime annuity based on a specified rate of contract accumulation value growth and predetermined annuity purchase rates. The GMIB liability is determined each period by estimating the expected value of annuitization benefits in excess of the projected contract accumulation value at the date of annuitization and recognizing the excess over the estimated meaningful life based on expected assessments.
The embedded derivatives related to GMAB and the non-life contingent benefits associated with GMWB provisions are recorded at fair value. See Note 18 to our Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding the fair value measurement of embedded derivatives. The liability for the life contingent benefits associated with GMWB provisions is determined in the same way as the liability for variable annuity death benefits. The changes in both the fair values of the GMWB and GMAB embedded derivatives and the liability for life contingent benefits are reflected in benefits, claims, losses and settlement expenses.
Liabilities for equity indexed annuities are equal to the accumulation of host contract values covering guaranteed benefits and the market value of embedded equity options.
Liabilities for fixed annuities in a benefit or payout status are based on future estimated payments using established industry mortality tables and interest rates, ranging from 4.6% to 9.5% at December 31, 2008, depending on year of issue, with an average rate of approximately 5.8%.
Life, Disability Income and Long Term Care Insurance
Future policy benefits and policy claims and other policyholders' funds related to life, disability income and long term care insurance include liabilities for fixed account values on fixed and variable universal life policies, liabilities for unpaid amounts on reported claims, estimates of benefits payable on claims incurred but not yet reported and estimates of benefits that will become payable on term life, whole life, disability income and long term care policies as claims are incurred in the future.
Liabilities for fixed account values on fixed and variable universal life insurance are equal to accumulation values. Accumulation values are the cumulative gross deposits and credited interest less various contractual expense and mortality charges and less amounts withdrawn by policyholders.
Liabilities for unpaid amounts on reported life insurance claims are equal to the death benefits payable under the policies. Liabilities for unpaid amounts on reported disability income and long term care claims include any periodic or other benefit amounts due and accrued, along with estimates of the present value of obligations for continuing benefit payments. These amounts are calculated based on claim continuance tables which estimate the likelihood an individual will continue to be eligible for benefits. Present values are calculated at interest rates established when claims are incurred. Anticipated claim continuance rates are based on established industry tables, adjusted as appropriate for the Company's experience. Interest rates used with disability income claims ranged from 3.0% to 8.0% at December 31, 2008, with an average rate of 4.8%. Interest rates used with long term care claims ranged from 4.0% to 7.0% at December 31, 2008, with an average rate of 4.1%.
Liabilities for estimated benefits payable on claims that have been incurred but not yet reported are based on periodic analysis of the actual time lag between when a claim occurs and when it is reported.
Liabilities for estimates of benefits that will become payable on future claims on term life, whole life, disability income and long term care policies are based on the net level premium method, using anticipated premium payments, mortality and morbidity rates, policy persistency and interest rates earned on . . .
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