Voya Financial, Inc. (VOYA) FY 2023 MD&A
This page reproduces the company's own Item 7 MD&A text from the linked SEC filing. It is filer text, not grepcent analysis, scoring, or investment advice.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
For the purposes of this discussion, the terms "Voya," "the Company," "we," "our," and "us" refer to Voya Financial, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
The following discussion and analysis presents a review of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, and financial condition as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. This item should be read in its entirety and in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes contained in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on
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Form 10-K. For discussion and analysis of our results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, refer to our 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 24, 2023.
In addition to historical data, this discussion contains forward-looking statements about our business, operations and financial performance based on current expectations that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. See the "Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements."
Overview
We are a leading provider of workplace benefits and savings solutions and technologies to U.S. employers, enabling better financial outcomes for their employees and for those who depend on their employees through our retirement solutions, retail wealth services, and comprehensive portfolio of benefits products. We are also a leading international asset manager, built on a foundation of institutional-quality fixed income and private asset strategies, with a well-established presence in U.S. markets and a large and growing business managing retail and institutional equity, fixed income, and blended strategies for clients in Europe and Asia.
Since Voya’s IPO in 2013, we have evolved through the divestiture of substantially all of our closed block variable annuity, life insurance and legacy non-retirement annuity businesses and related assets. These divestitures align with our strategic focus on higher-return, capital-light businesses, while maximizing the capital returned to our shareholders. As a result, we have returned approximately $9.3 billion of capital to our shareholders since our IPO through share repurchases and dividends, while making strategic investments in Workplace Solutions and Investment Management.
We are focused on executing our mission to make a secure financial future possible—one person, one family and one institution at a time. Voya’s scale, business mix, risk profile, and strong free cash flow generation are competitive differentiators, and we have a clear path to Adjusted Operating Earnings Per Share growth via net revenue growth, margin expansion, and disciplined capital management. We provide our products and services principally through our Workplace Solutions business, which encompasses both our Wealth Solutions and Health Solutions business segments, and through our Investment Management segment.
Wealth Solutions
Our Wealth Solutions segment provides retirement plan solutions and administration technology and services to employers. These products and services include full-service and recordkeeping-only defined contribution plan administration, stable value and fixed general account investment products; non-qualified plan administration; and tools, guidance, and services to promote the financial well-being and retirement security of employees. We also provide individual retirement accounts and financial guidance and advisory services that enables us to deepen relationships with our retirement plan participants.
Our Wealth Solutions segment earns revenue from a diverse and complementary business mix, primarily fee income from asset based and participant based administrative, recordkeeping and advisory fees as well as investment income on our general account assets and other funds. Because a significant portion of our revenues are tied to account values, our profitability is determined in part by the amount of assets we have under management, administration or advisement, which in turn depends on sales volumes to new and existing clients, net deposits from retirement plan participants, and changes in the market value of account assets. Our profitability also depends on the difference between the investment income we earn on our general account assets, or our portfolio yield, and crediting rates on client accounts.
Health Solutions
Our Health Solutions segment provides worksite employee benefits, Health Account Solutions (Health Savings Account ("HSA")/Flexible Spending Account ("FSA")/Health Reimbursement Arrangements ("HRA") and COBRA administration), leave management, financial wellness and decision support products and services to mid-size and large corporate employers and professional associations as well as benefits administration. In addition, our Health Solutions segment provides stop-loss coverage to employer plan sponsors that self-fund their pharmaceutical and medical benefits.
Our Health Solutions segment generates revenue from premiums and fees, investment income, mortality and morbidity income and policy and other charges. Underwriting income comprises the majority of revenues in this segment and derives from the difference between premiums and mortality charges collected and benefits and expenses paid for group life, stop loss and voluntary benefits. Fee income is generated from margin on expenses for services provided on benefits administration, leave management, HSA/FSA/HRA and COBRA administration and proprietary decision support tools. Investment income is driven
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by the spread between investment yields and credited rates (the interest and income that is credited to the policies) to policyholders on voluntary universal life, whole life products, and HSA invested assets.
Investment Management
Our Investment Management segment serves both individual and institutional customers, offering them domestic and international fixed income, equity, multi-asset and alternative investment products and solutions across a range of geographies, investment styles and capitalization spectrums. We aim to provide positive investment results that are repeatable and consistent, and deliver research-driven, risk-adjusted, client-oriented investment strategies and solutions and advisory services.
Through our institutional distribution channel and our Workplace Solutions business, we serve a variety of institutional clients, including public, corporate and multiemployer defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans, endowments and foundations, and insurance companies. We are a market leader in providing third-party general account management services to insurance companies, with a focus on public and private fixed income asset strategies, and a client service model adapted for the particular needs of insurance company clients. We also serve individual investors by offering our mutual funds, separately managed accounts, and private and alternative funds through an intermediary-focused distribution platform or through affiliate and third-party retirement platforms. Our scaled and growing international retail business is conducted through sub-advisory agreements with investment vehicles sponsored by affiliates and distributed in Europe and Asia.
Our Investment Management segment generates revenue through the collection of management fees on the assets we manage. These fees are typically based upon a percentage of AUM. In certain investment management fee arrangements, we may also receive performance-based incentive fees when the return on AUM exceeds certain benchmark returns or other performance hurdles. In addition, and to a lesser extent, Investment Management collects administrative fees on outside managed assets that are administered by our mutual fund platform and distributed primarily by our Wealth Solutions segment. Investment Management also receives fees as the primary investment manager of our general account, which is managed on a market-based pricing basis. Finally, Investment Management generates revenues from a portfolio of seed capital investments, collateralized loan obligations and various funds.
Business Update
On August 1, 2023, we acquired all remaining equity interest in VFI SLK Global Services Private Limited previously held by SLK Software Private Limited ("SLK") and renamed the entity as Voya Global Services Private Limited ("Voya India"). Voya India was a private limited company in India formed pursuant to a joint venture agreement between us and SLK on August 1, 2019, with us and SLK holding 49% and 51% of ownership shares, respectively. The purpose of Voya India is to provide technology and business operation services to us. As a result of the acquisition, Voya India has become a wholly owned subsidiary of us and provides us with improved strategic and operational flexibility.
As part of the purchase consideration, an upfront payment of approximately $53 million was made at closing. We recorded a gain of $45 million in relation to revaluation of the existing investment in Voya India which was recorded in Net gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net assets acquired as part of this transaction included goodwill of $102 million. The revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities of the business acquired are reported in Corporate.
On January 24, 2023, we completed the acquisition of Benefitfocus, Inc. ("Benefitfocus"), an industry-leading benefits administration technology company that serves U.S. employers, health plans and brokers for a total purchase price consideration of $595 million. The acquisition has expanded the Company’s capacity to meet the growing demand for comprehensive benefits and savings solutions and increases its ability to deliver innovative solutions for employers and health plans. In connection with the acquisition, we have incurred $37 million of integration expenses for the year ended December 31, 2023 and expect to incur additional integration expenses in the future. These expenses include severance, consulting and business integration expenses and are recorded in Operating expenses in the period they are incurred. These expenses are classified as a component of Other adjustments to Income (loss) before income taxes and consequently are not included in the adjusted operating results of our segments.
On July 25, 2022, we completed a series of transactions pursuant to a Combination Agreement dated as of June 13, 2022 (the "AllianzGI Agreement") with Voya Investment Management LLC ("Voya IM") and VIM Holdings LLC ("VIM Holdings"), both our indirect subsidiaries, Allianz SE ("Allianz") and Allianz Global Investors U.S. LLC ("AllianzGI"), an indirect subsidiary of Allianz, pursuant to which the parties have combined Voya IM with assets and teams comprising specified strategies previously managed by AllianzGI. Following the transaction, we hold, indirectly, a 76% interest in VIM Holdings and operate the business, while Allianz holds, indirectly, the remaining 24%. The transaction increased Voya IM's AUM by
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approximately 40%. The acquisition has increased Voya IM's international scale and distribution and provides it with new investment strategies that help us meet the needs of a larger and more global client base. We incurred $68 million and $67 million of transaction and integration expenses, primarily related to this transaction for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. We expect to incur additional integration expenses in future periods. These expenses include consulting, legal and business integration expenses and are recorded in Operating expenses in the period they are incurred. These expenses are classified as a component of Other adjustments to Income (loss) before income taxes and consequently are not included in the adjusted operating results of our segments.
Trends and Uncertainties
Throughout this Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ("MD&A"), we discuss a number of trends and uncertainties that we believe may materially affect our future liquidity, financial condition or results of operations. Where these trends or uncertainties are specific to a particular aspect of our business, we often include such a discussion under the relevant caption of this MD&A, as part of our broader analysis of that area of our business. In addition, the following factors represent some of the key general trends and uncertainties that have influenced the development of our business and our historical financial performance and that we believe will continue to influence our continuing business operations and financial performance in the future.
Market Conditions
Extraordinary monetary accommodation to support a global economy negatively impacted by the pandemic is being unwound. Inflationary pressures related to easy monetary and fiscal policies, and the stagflationary impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war and global supply chain frictions, have been addressed by sharply tighter monetary policy. As the continued impact of sharply tighter global monetary policy works through the real economy, an increase in market volatility could affect our business, including through effects on the rate and spread component of yields we earn on invested assets, changes in required reserves and capital, and fluctuations in the value of our AUM and AUA. These effects could be exacerbated by uncertainty about future fiscal policy, changes in tax policy, the scope of potential deregulation, levels of global trade, and geopolitical risk. In the short- to medium-term, the potential for increased volatility and slowing economic growth can pressure sales and reduce demand as consumers hesitate to make financial decisions. Financial performance can be adversely affected by market volatility as fees driven by AUM fluctuate, hedging costs increase and revenue declines due to reduced sales and increased outflows. As a company with strong retirement, investment management and insurance capabilities, however, we believe the market conditions noted above may, over the long term, enhance the attractiveness of our broad portfolio of products and services. We will need to continue to monitor the behavior of our customers and other factors, including mortality rates, morbidity rates, and lapse rates, which adjust in response to changes in market conditions in order to ensure that our products and services remain attractive as well as profitable. For additional information on our sensitivity to interest rates and equity market prices, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Part II, Item 7A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Interest Rate Environment
We believe the interest rate environment will continue to influence our business and financial performance in the future for several reasons, including the following:
•Our general account investment portfolio, which was approximately $36 billion as of December 31, 2023, consists predominantly of fixed income investments. At prevailing interest rate levels, new money investments or reinvestment of proceeds from maturities and asset paydowns are likely to be accretive to the overall portfolio earned rate. Higher interest rates, however, also reduce the prices of fixed income investments and the proceeds of bonds that are sold before maturity in the secondary market.
•Several of our products pay credited rates such as fixed accounts and a portion of the stable value accounts included within defined contribution retirement plans. During periods of rising interest rates, credited rates on our products generally lag the current market rates, which can result in elevated outflows from these products due to the availability of higher return investment options.
For additional information on the impact of the interest rate environment, see The level of interest rates may adversely affect our profitability, particularly during a period of rapidly increasing interest rates or in the event of a recurrence of a low interest rate environment in Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Also, for additional information on our sensitivity to interest rates, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Part II, Item 7A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Seasonality and Other Matters
Our business results can vary from quarter to quarter as a result of seasonal factors. For all of our segments, the first quarter of each year typically has elevated operating expenses, reflecting higher payroll taxes, equity compensation grants, and certain other expenses that tend to be concentrated in the first quarter. Additionally, alternative investment income tends to be lower in the first quarter. Other seasonal factors that affect our business include:
Wealth Solutions
•The first quarter of each year tends to have the highest level of recurring deposits in Corporate Markets, due to the increase in participant contributions from the receipt of annual bonus award payments or annual lump sum matches and profit sharing contributions made by many employers. Corporate Market withdrawals also tend to increase in the first quarter as departing sponsors change providers at the start of a new year.
•In the third quarter of each year, education tax-exempt markets typically have the lowest recurring deposits, due to the timing of vacation schedules in the academic calendar.
•The fourth quarter of each year tends to have the highest level of single/transfer deposits due to new Corporate Market plan sales as sponsors transfer from other providers when contracts expire at the fiscal or calendar year-end. Recurring deposits in the Corporate Market may be lower in the fourth quarter as higher paid participants scale back or halt their contributions upon reaching the annual maximums allowed for the year. Finally, Corporate Market withdrawals tend to increase in the fourth quarter, as in the first quarter, due to departing sponsors.
Health Solutions
•The first quarter of each year tends to have the highest Group Life loss ratio. Sales for Group Life, Stop Loss, and Voluntary Benefits also tend to be the highest in the first quarter, as most of our contracts have January start dates in alignment with the start of our clients' fiscal years.
•The third quarter of each year tends to have the second highest Group Life, Stop Loss, and Voluntary Benefits sales, as a large number of our contracts have July start dates in alignment with the start of our clients' fiscal years.
•The fourth quarter of each year tends to have higher Voluntary Claims. This seasonality is generally driven by policyholders reassessing past incidents at the end of the year and during annual open enrollment.
Investment Management
•In the fourth quarter of each year, performance fees are typically higher due to certain performance fees being associated with calendar-year performance against established benchmarks and hurdle rates.
In addition to these seasonal factors, our results are impacted by the annual review of assumptions related to future policy benefits, which we generally complete in the third quarter of each year, and annual remeasurement related to our employee benefit plans, which we generally complete in the fourth quarter of each year. See Critical Accounting Judgments and Estimates in Part II, Item 7. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Results of Operations
Operating Measures
In this MD&A, we discuss Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes and Adjusted operating revenues, each of which is a measure used by management to evaluate segment performance. For additional information on each measure, see Segments Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Assets Under Management ("AUM") and Assets Under Advisement ("AUA")
A substantial portion of our fees, other charges and margins are based on AUM. AUM represents on-balance sheet assets supporting customer account values/liabilities and surplus as well as off-balance sheet institutional/mutual funds. Customer account values reflect the amount of policyholder equity that has accumulated within retirement, annuity and universal-life type products.
AUM includes general account assets managed by our Investment Management segment in which we bear the investment risk and separate account assets in which the contract owner bears the investment risk and institutional/mutual funds, which are excluded from our balance sheets. AUM-based revenues increase or decrease with a rise or fall in the amount of AUM, whether caused by changes in capital markets or by net flows. AUM is principally affected by net deposits (i.e., new deposits, less surrenders and other outflows) and investment performance (i.e., interest credited to contract owner accounts for assets that earn
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a fixed return or market performance for assets that earn a variable return). Separate account AUM and institutional/mutual fund AUM include assets managed by our Investment Management segment, as well as assets managed by third-party investment managers. Our Investment Management segment reflects the revenues earned for managing affiliated assets for our other segments as well as assets managed for third parties.
AUA represents accumulated assets on contracts pursuant to which we either provide administrative, advisement services, or distribution coverage, relationship management and client servicing or product guarantees for assets managed by third parties. These contracts are not insurance contracts and the assets are excluded from the Consolidated Financial Statements. Fees earned on AUA are generally based on the number of participants, asset levels or the level of services or product guarantees that are provided.
Our consolidated AUM/AUA includes eliminations of AUM/AUA managed by our Investment Management segment that is also reflected in other segments’ AUM/AUA and adjustments for AUM not reflected in any segments.
The following table presents AUM and AUA as of the dates indicated:
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| AUM and AUA: | ||||||
| Wealth Solutions(1) | $ | 544,319 | $ | 477,386 | ||
| Health Solutions | 1,833 | 1,880 | ||||
| Investment Management | 377,744 | 376,963 | ||||
| Eliminations/Other | (110,383) | (111,893) | ||||
| Total AUM and AUA(1)(2) | $ | 813,513 | $ | 744,336 | ||
| AUM | $ | 462,079 | $ | 438,964 | ||
| AUA | 351,434 | 305,372 | ||||
| Total AUM and AUA(1)(2) | $ | 813,513 | $ | 744,336 |
(1) Effective Q1 2023, includes asset balances associated with non-qualified retirement plans for clients using only our non-qualified solutions. Historical periods presented have been recast to conform with this change.
(2) Includes AUM and AUA related to the divested businesses, for which a substantial portion of the assets continue to be managed by our Investment Management segment.
Terminology Definitions
Sales Statistics
In our discussion of our segment results under Results of Operations—Segment by Segment, we sometimes refer to sales activity for various products. The term "sales" is used differently for different products, as described more fully below. These sales statistics do not correspond to revenues under U.S. GAAP and are used by us as operating statistics underlying our financial performance.
Net flows are deposits less redemptions (including benefits and other product charges).
Sales for Health Solutions products are based on a calculation of annual premiums, which represent regular premiums on new policies, plus a portion of new single premiums.
Total gross premiums and deposits are defined as premium revenue and deposits for policies written and assumed. This measure provides information as to growth and persistency trends related to premium and deposits.
Other Measures
Net Revenue is a non-GAAP measure defined as Adjusted Operating Revenues less Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders.
Total annualized in-force premiums and fees are defined as a full year of premium at the rate in effect at the end of the period. This measure provides information as to the growth and persistency trends in premium and fee revenue.
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Interest adjusted loss ratios are defined as the ratio of benefits expense to premium revenue exclusive of the discount component in the change in benefit reserve. This measure reports the loss ratio related to mortality on life products and morbidity on health products.
Net gains (losses) and Net investment gains (losses) and related charges and adjustments include changes in the fair value of derivatives. Increases in the fair value of derivative assets or decreases in the fair value of derivative liabilities result in "gains." Decreases in the fair value of derivative assets or increases in the fair value of derivative liabilities result in "losses."
Results of Operations - Company Consolidated
The following table presents our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | Change | |||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||||
| Net investment income | $ | 2,159 | $ | 2,281 | $ | (122) | ||||
| Fee income | 1,916 | 1,742 | 174 | |||||||
| Premiums | 2,717 | 2,423 | 294 | |||||||
| Net gains (losses) | (72) | (686) | 614 | |||||||
| Other revenue | 327 | 148 | 179 | |||||||
| Income (loss) related to consolidated investment entities | 301 | 22 | 279 | |||||||
| Total revenues | 7,348 | 5,930 | 1,418 | |||||||
| Benefits and expenses: | ||||||||||
| Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders | 3,036 | 2,528 | 508 | |||||||
| Operating expenses | 3,096 | 2,542 | 554 | |||||||
| Net amortization of Deferred policy acquisition costs and Value of business acquired | 230 | 240 | (10) | |||||||
| Interest expense | 132 | 134 | (2) | |||||||
| Operating expenses related to consolidated investment entities | 176 | 58 | 118 | |||||||
| Total benefits and expenses | 6,670 | 5,502 | 1,168 | |||||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes | 678 | 428 | 250 | |||||||
| Income tax expense (benefit) | (51) | (5) | (46) | |||||||
| Net income (loss) | 729 | 433 | 296 | |||||||
| Less: Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest | 104 | (77) | 181 | |||||||
| Less: Preferred stock dividends | 36 | 36 | — | |||||||
| Net income (loss) available to our common shareholders | $ | 589 | $ | 474 | $ | 115 |
Consolidated - Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Total Revenues
Total Revenues increased $1,418 million from $5,930 million to $7,348 million. The following items contributed to the overall increase.
Net investment income decreased $122 million from $2,281 million to $2,159 million primarily due to:
•lower investment income on fixed maturity securities primarily due to interest rate movements and lower average volume; and
•lower alternative investment and prepayment fee income in the current period primarily driven by overall market performance.
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The decrease was partially offset by:
•higher investment income on short-term investments due to interest rate movements.
Fee income increased $174 million from $1,742 million to $1,916 million primarily due to:
•higher fee income in Investment Management primarily due to the addition of the AllianzGI business and market appreciation, partially offset by net outflows; and
•higher fee income in Wealth Solutions primarily driven by market appreciation and business growth, partially offset by a reduction in the average fee rate.
Premiums increased $294 million from $2,423 million to $2,717 million primarily due to:
•higher premiums in Health Solutions driven by growth across all blocks of business.
Net gains (losses) improved $614 million from a loss of $686 million to a loss of $72 million primarily due to:
•a favorable change in mark-to-market adjustments on securities subject to fair value option accounting primarily due to interest rate movements;
•favorable equity security performance due to higher equity markets in the current period; and
•a gain from the revaluation of the investment in Voya India.
The improvement was partially offset by:
•net unfavorable changes in derivative valuations due to interest rate movements.
Other revenue increased $179 million from $148 million to $327 million primarily due to:
•higher other revenue in Health Solutions primarily driven by the Benefitfocus acquisition.
The increase was partially offset by:
•lower revenue from transition services agreements associated with the Individual Life transaction.
Income related to consolidated investment entities increased $279 million from $22 million to $301 million primarily due to:
•equity market impacts to limited partnership valuations; and
•an increase in interest income in collateralized loan obligations due to higher interest rates and a new fund launch.
Total Benefits and Expenses
Total benefits and expenses increased by $1,168 million from $5,502 million to $6,670 million. The following items contributed to the overall increase.
Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders increased $508 million from $2,528 million to $3,036 million primarily due to:
•higher benefits incurred in Health Solutions due to growth in in-force business and an unfavorable change due to the annual assumption update;
•an unfavorable change in the value of embedded derivatives associated with businesses reinsured primarily due to changes in interest rates;
•an unfavorable impact from the annual assumption update in Businesses Exited; and
•higher participant crediting rates in Wealth Solutions due to higher interest rates.
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The increase was partially offset by:
•a lower loss ratio in stop loss and absence of COVID-19 impacts in the current period in Health Solutions; and
•a lower litigation reserve in the current period compared to the prior period in Businesses exited.
Operating expenses increased $554 million from $2,542 million to $3,096 million primarily due to:
•an increase in Health Solutions expenses primarily driven by the acquisition of Benefitfocus and business growth;
•an increase in Investment Management expenses primarily driven by the addition of the AllianzGI business;
•an increase in Wealth Solutions expenses driven by business growth;
•closing and integration costs associated with the acquisition of Benefitfocus;
•an increase in the amortization of intangible assets associated with acquisitions;
•an increase in the deferred compensation plan liability due to equity market movements; and
•higher severance accruals in the current period.
The increase was partially offset by:
•a net favorable adjustment to acquisition-related assets and liabilities; and
•lower incentive compensation in Corporate.
Operating expenses related to consolidated investment entities increased $118 million from $58 million to $176 million primarily due to:
•increase in collateralized loan obligations interest costs due to higher rates and a new fund launch; and
•increase in interest costs of limited partnerships due to higher loans.
Income Tax Benefit
Income tax benefit increased $46 million from $5 million to $51 million primarily due to:
•the Security Life of Denver Company capital loss carryback. For more details, see the Income Taxes note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K;
•a change in noncontrolling interest; and
•the non-taxable Voya India gain.
The increase was partially offset by:
•an increase in income before income taxes;
•tax credits claimed in 2022 related to tax years 2012 - 2017.
Adjustments from Income (Loss) before Income Taxes to Adjusted Operating Earnings (Loss) before Income Taxes
For additional information on the reconciliation adjustments listed below, see the Segments Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Net investment gains (losses) improved $175 million from a loss of $190 million to a loss of $15 million primarily due to:
•a favorable change in mark-to-market adjustments on securities subject to fair value option accounting primarily due to interest rate movements; and
•a gain from the revaluation of the investment in Voya India.
The improvement was partially offset by:
•net unfavorable changes in derivative valuations due to interest rate movements.
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Income (loss) related to businesses exited through reinsurance or divestment decreased $44 million from a loss of $138 million to a loss of $182 million primarily due to:
•an unfavorable impact from the third quarter annual assumption update; and
•net unfavorable market value changes on embedded derivatives primarily due to interest rate movements.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•a lower litigation reserve in the current period compared to the prior period; and
•a favorable change in the allowance for credit losses on reinsurance recoverable.
Other adjustments decreased $69 million from a loss of $111 million to a loss of $180 million primarily due to:
•closing and integration costs associated with the acquisition of Benefitfocus;
•an increase in the amortization of intangible assets associated with acquisitions; and
•higher severance accruals in the current period.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•a net favorable adjustment to acquisition-related assets and liabilities.
Results of Operations - Segment by Segment
Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes is the measure of segment profit or loss management uses to evaluate segment performance. Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP pretax income. We believe the presentation of segment Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes as we measure it for management purposes enhances the understanding of our business by reflecting the underlying performance of our core operations and facilitating a more meaningful trend analysis. Refer to the Segments Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on the presentation of segment results and our definition of Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes.
Wealth Solutions
The following table presents Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes of our Wealth Solutions segment for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Adjusted operating revenues: | ||||||
| Net investment income and net gains (losses) | $ | 1,737 | $ | 1,756 | ||
| Fee income | 966 | 953 | ||||
| Other revenue | 74 | 70 | ||||
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 2,776 | 2,778 | ||||
| Operating benefits and expenses: | ||||||
| Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders | 895 | 886 | ||||
| Operating expenses | 1,162 | 1,101 | ||||
| Net amortization of DAC/VOBA | 88 | 93 | ||||
| Total operating benefits and expenses | 2,144 | 2,081 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | 632 | $ | 697 |
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The following table presents Net revenue and Adjusted operating margin for our Wealth Solutions segment as of the dates indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | 632 | $ | 697 | |
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 2,776 | 2,778 | |||
| Less: Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders | 895 | 886 | |||
| Net revenue | $ | 1,881 | $ | 1,892 | |
| Adjusted operating margin(1) | 33.6 | % | 36.9 | % |
(1) Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes divided by Net Revenue.
The following tables present Total Client Assets, which comprise total AUM and AUA, for our Wealth Solutions segment as of the dates indicated:
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Full Service | $ | 185,379 | $ | 162,636 | ||
| Recordkeeping | 298,120 | 254,957 | ||||
| Total Defined Contribution | 483,499 | 417,593 | ||||
| Investment-only Stable Value | 35,188 | 38,148 | ||||
| Retail Client and Other Assets | 32,840 | 29,156 | ||||
| Eliminations(1) | (7,208) | (7,511) | ||||
| Total Client Assets(1) | $ | 544,319 | $ | 477,386 |
(1) Includes asset eliminations which were previously reported in Recordkeeping and Retail Client Assets. Historical periods presented have been recast to conform with this change.
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Fee-based | $ | 457,089 | $ | 387,961 | ||
| Spread-based | 31,327 | 33,881 | ||||
| Investment-only Stable Value | 35,188 | 38,148 | ||||
| Retail Client Assets | 27,923 | 24,908 | ||||
| Eliminations(1) | (7,208) | (7,511) | ||||
| Total Client Assets(2) | $ | 544,319 | $ | 477,386 |
(1) Includes asset eliminations which were previously reported in Recordkeeping and Retail Client Assets. Historical periods presented have been recast to conform with this change.
(2) Effective Q1 2023, includes asset balances associated with non-qualified retirement plans for clients using only our non-qualified solutions. Historical periods presented have been recast to conform with this change.
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The following table presents Full Service, Recordkeeping, and Stable Value net flows for our Wealth Solutions segment for the periods indicated:
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Full Service - Corporate markets: | ||||||
| Deposits | $ | 16,591 | $ | 14,722 | ||
| Surrenders, benefits and product charges | (14,627) | (11,910) | ||||
| Net flows | 1,964 | 2,812 | ||||
| Full Service - Tax-exempt markets: | ||||||
| Deposits | 5,585 | 6,143 | ||||
| Surrenders, benefits and product charges | (10,495) | (6,002) | ||||
| Net flows | (4,910) | 141 | ||||
| Total Full Service Net Flows | $ | (2,945) | $ | 2,953 | ||
| Recordkeeping and Stable Value: | ||||||
| Recordkeeping Net Flows | $ | 7,437 | $ | 766 | ||
| Investment-only Stable Value Net Flows | $ | (4,265) | $ | 1,215 |
Wealth Solutions - Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes decreased $65 million from $697 million to $632 million primarily due to:
•higher expenses primarily driven by business growth;
•lower net investment income primarily due to lower alternative asset returns and lower spread-based assets due to participant surrenders and fund transfer activities, partially offset by a higher portfolio yield; and
•higher crediting rates due to higher interest rates.
The decrease was partially offset by:
•higher fee income and other revenue primarily due to market appreciation and business growth, partially offset by a reduction in the average fee rate.
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Health Solutions
The following table presents Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes of the Health Solutions segment for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Adjusted operating revenues: | ||||||
| Net investment income and net gains (losses) | $ | 135 | $ | 134 | ||
| Fee income | 75 | 76 | ||||
| Premiums | 2,673 | 2,378 | ||||
| Other revenue | 198 | (6) | ||||
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 3,082 | 2,582 | ||||
| Operating benefits and expenses: | ||||||
| Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders | 1,895 | 1,680 | ||||
| Operating expenses | 839 | 569 | ||||
| Net amortization of DAC/VOBA | 33 | 29 | ||||
| Total operating benefits and expenses | 2,767 | 2,278 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes(1) | $ | 315 | $ | 304 |
(1)The years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022 include $8 million unfavorable and $66 million favorable impacts, respectively, related to the annual review of assumption. See Critical Accounting Judgments and Estimates in Part II, Item 7. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
The following table presents Net revenue and Adjusted operating margin for our Health Solutions segment as of the dates indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | 315 | $ | 304 | ||
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 3,082 | 2,582 | ||||
| Less: Interest credited and other benefits to contract owners/policyholders | 1,895 | 1,680 | ||||
| Net revenue | $ | 1,185 | $ | 902 | ||
| Adjusted operating margin(1) | 26.6 | % | 33.7 | % |
(1) Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes divided by Net Revenue.
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The following table presents sales, gross premiums and in-force for our Health Solutions segment for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Sales by Product Line: | ||||||
| Group life and Disability | $ | 135 | $ | 126 | ||
| Stop loss | 460 | 409 | ||||
| Total group products | 595 | 536 | ||||
| Voluntary and Other(1) | 157 | 149 | ||||
| Total sales by product line | $ | 752 | $ | 684 | ||
| Total gross premiums and deposits | $ | 3,054 | $ | 2,724 | ||
| Group life and Disability | 905 | 833 | ||||
| Stop loss | 1,500 | 1,258 | ||||
| Voluntary and Other(1) | 926 | 689 | ||||
| Total annualized in-force premiums and fees | $ | 3,331 | $ | 2,780 | ||
| Loss Ratios: | ||||||
| Group life (interest adjusted) | 82.5 | % | 89.5 | % | ||
| Stop loss | 73.2 | % | 75.9 | % | ||
| Total Loss Ratio(2)(3) | 67.2 | % | 68.9 | % |
(1) Includes benefit administration annual recurring revenue and Health Account Solutions products.
(2) The year ended December 31, 2022 loss ratio excludes $57 million of favorable reserve impact related to annual review of the assumptions.
(3) Total Loss Ratio is presented on a trailing twelve month basis.
Health Solutions - Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes increased $11 million from $304 million to $315 million primarily due to:
•higher premiums driven by growth across all three lines of business; and
•higher other revenue driven by the acquisition of Benefitfocus.
The increase was partially offset by:
•higher expenses primarily driven by the acquisition of Benefitfocus and business growth; and
•higher benefits to policyholders due to growth in in-force business, an unfavorable change due to the annual assumption update, partially offset by a lower total loss ratio and absence of COVID-19 impacts in the current period.
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Investment Management
The following table presents Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes of our Investment Management segment for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Adjusted operating revenues: | ||||||
| Net investment income and net gains (losses) | $ | 33 | $ | 3 | ||
| Fee income | 881 | 736 | ||||
| Other revenue | 2 | 17 | ||||
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 916 | 756 | ||||
| Operating benefits and expenses: | ||||||
| Operating expenses | 690 | 570 | ||||
| Total operating benefits and expenses | 690 | 570 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes including Allianz noncontrolling interest | 225 | 186 | ||||
| Less: Earnings (loss) attributable to Allianz noncontrolling interest | 49 | 27 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | 177 | $ | 158 |
The following table presents Net revenue and Adjusted operating margin for our Investment Management segment as of the dates indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | |||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes including Allianz noncontrolling interest | $ | 225 | $ | 186 | |
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 916 | 756 | |||
| Net revenue | $ | 916 | $ | 756 | |
| Adjusted operating margin(1) | 24.6 | % | 24.7 | % |
(1) Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes divided by Net Revenue.
Our Investment Management segment revenues include the following intersegment revenues, primarily consisting of asset-based management and administration fees.
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Investment Management intersegment revenues | $ | 85 | $ | 91 |
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The following table presents AUM and AUA for our Investment Management segment as of the dates indicated:
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| External clients: | ||||||
| Institutional(1) | $ | 148,722 | $ | 161,502 | ||
| Retail(1) | 138,239 | 121,833 | ||||
| Total external clients | 286,961 | 283,335 | ||||
| General account | 34,740 | 38,028 | ||||
| Total AUM(1) | 321,701 | 321,363 | ||||
| AUA(2) | 56,043 | 55,601 | ||||
| Total AUM and AUA(1)(2) | $ | 377,744 | $ | 376,963 |
(1) Includes assets associated with the divested businesses.
(2) Includes assets sourced by other segments and also reported as AUA or AUM by such other segments. Assets Under Advisement, presented in AUA, includes advisory assets, mutual fund, general account and stable value assets.
The following table presents net flows for our Investment Management segment for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Net Flows: | ||||||
| Institutional | $ | (15,480) | $ | 3,675 | ||
| Retail | 1,474 | (2,601) | ||||
| Divested businesses | (2,058) | (2,156) | ||||
| Total | $ | (16,063) | $ | (1,082) |
Investment Management - Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes including Allianz noncontrolling interest increased $39 million from $186 million to $225 million primarily due to:
•higher fee income and other revenue primarily due to the addition of the AllianzGI business and market appreciation, partially offset by net outflows; and
•higher investment capital returns primarily driven by overall market performance.
The increase was partially offset by:
•higher operating expenses primarily driven by addition of the AllianzGI business.
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Corporate
The following table presents Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes of Corporate for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Adjusted operating revenues: | ||||||
| Net investment income and net gains (losses) | $ | 28 | $ | 8 | ||
| Other revenue | 21 | 59 | ||||
| Total adjusted operating revenues | 48 | 67 | ||||
| Operating benefits and expenses: | ||||||
| Operating expenses(1) | 96 | 142 | ||||
| Interest expense(2) | 161 | 177 | ||||
| Total operating benefits and expenses | 256 | 319 | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes including Allianz noncontrolling interest | (208) | (253) | ||||
| Less: Earnings (loss) attributable to Allianz noncontrolling interest | (1) | (1) | ||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | (207) | $ | (251) |
(1) Includes expenses from corporate activities and expenses not allocated to our segments.
(2) Includes dividend payments made to preferred shareholders.
Corporate - Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2022
Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes including Allianz noncontrolling interest improved $45 million from a loss of $253 million to a loss of $208 million primarily due to:
•lower operating expenses due to stranded costs in the prior period and lower incentive compensation in the current period, partially offset by an increase in the deferred compensation liability;
•higher investment income due to the increase in short-term rates on assets backing surplus in excess of amounts held at the segment level; and
•lower interest expense driven by cumulative debt extinguishments.
The improvement was partially offset by:
•lower other revenue from transition services agreements associated with the Individual Life transaction.
Alternative Investment Income
Investment income on certain alternative investments can be volatile due to changes in market conditions. The following table presents the amount of investment income (loss) on certain alternative investments that is included in segment Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes and the average level of assets in each segment, prior to intercompany eliminations, which excludes alternative investments and income that are a component of Income (loss) related to businesses exited or to be exited through reinsurance or divestment. These alternative investments are carried at fair value, which is estimated based on the net asset value ("NAV") of these funds.
While investment income on these assets can be volatile, based on current plans, we expect to earn 9.0% on these assets over the long-term.
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The following table presents the alternative investment income and the average assets of alternative investments as of the dates indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Wealth Solutions: | ||||||
| Alternative investment income | $ | 66 | $ | 91 | ||
| Average alternative investments | 1,606 | 1,608 | ||||
| Health Solutions: | ||||||
| Alternative investment income | 7 | 8 | ||||
| Average alternative investments | 169 | 164 | ||||
| Investment Management: | ||||||
| Alternative investment income | 27 | 1 | ||||
| Average alternative investments | 322 | 337 |
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity refers to our ability to access sufficient sources of cash to meet the requirements of our operating, investing and financing activities. Capital refers to our long-term financial resources available to support business operations and future growth. Our ability to generate and maintain sufficient liquidity and capital depends on the profitability of the businesses, timing of cash flows on investments and products, general economic conditions and access to the capital markets and the other sources of liquidity and capital described herein.
The following discussion presents a review of our sources and uses of liquidity and capital and should be read in its entirety and in conjunction with the Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations table included further below.
Consolidated Sources and Uses of Liquidity and Capital
Our principal available sources of liquidity are product charges, investment income, proceeds from the maturity and sale of investments, proceeds from debt issuance and borrowing facilities, equity securities issuance, repurchase agreements, contract deposits and securities lending. Primary uses of these funds are payments of policyholder benefits, commissions and operating expenses, interest credits, dividends, debt maturities and redemptions, share repurchases, investment purchases, business acquisitions and contract maturities, withdrawals and surrenders.
Parent Company Sources and Uses of Liquidity
Voya Financial, Inc. is largely dependent on cash flows from its operating subsidiaries to meet its obligations. The principal sources of funds available to Voya Financial, Inc. include dividends and returns of capital from its operating subsidiaries, as well as cash and short-term investments, and proceeds from debt issuances, borrowing facilities and equity securities issuances.
These sources of funds include the $500 million revolving credit sublimit of our senior unsecured credit facility and reciprocal borrowing facilities maintained with Voya Financial, Inc.'s subsidiaries as well as alternate sources of liquidity described below.
We estimate that our excess capital (which we define as the amount of total adjusted capital in our insurance subsidiaries above our 375% RBC target, plus the amount of holding company liquidity above our $200 million target) as of December 31, 2023 was approximately $0.4 billion.
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Voya Financial, Inc.'s primary sources and uses of cash for the periods indicated are presented in the following table:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Beginning cash and cash equivalents balance | $ | 209 | $ | 202 | ||
| Sources: | ||||||
| Proceeds from loans from subsidiaries, net of repayments | — | 34 | ||||
| Dividends and returns of capital from subsidiaries | 1,057 | 1,210 | ||||
| Repayment of loans to subsidiaries, net of new issuances | 250 | 65 | ||||
| Debt issuance(1) | 388 | — | ||||
| Amounts received from subsidiaries under tax sharing agreements, net | 83 | 47 | ||||
| Collateral received, net | 16 | — | ||||
| Settlement of amounts due from (to) subsidiaries and affiliates, net | 147 | 60 | ||||
| Discounts and fees received for debt extinguishment | — | 2 | ||||
| Asset maturities and investment income, net | 7 | 26 | ||||
| Derivatives, net | 10 | — | ||||
| Other, net | — | 2 | ||||
| Total sources | 1,958 | 1,446 | ||||
| Uses: | ||||||
| Payment of interest expense | 111 | 111 | ||||
| Capital provided to subsidiaries | 8 | — | ||||
| Payment for business acquisitions | 611 | — | ||||
| Repayments of loans from subsidiaries, net of new issuances | 204 | — | ||||
| Debt repurchase | 393 | 366 | ||||
| Payment of income taxes, net | 4 | 14 | ||||
| Common stock acquired - Share repurchase | 369 | 750 | ||||
| Share-based compensation | 47 | 40 | ||||
| Dividends paid on preferred stock | 36 | 36 | ||||
| Dividends paid on common stock | 125 | 80 | ||||
| Collateral delivered, net | — | 5 | ||||
| Derivatives, net | — | 37 | ||||
| Other, net | 53 | — | ||||
| Total uses | 1,961 | 1,439 | ||||
| Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents | (3) | 7 | ||||
| Ending cash and cash equivalents balance | $ | 206 | $ | 209 |
(1) See Put Option Agreement for Senior Debt Issuance below for further detail.
Liquidity
We manage liquidity through access to substantial investment portfolios as well as a variety of other sources of liquidity including committed credit facilities, securities lending and repurchase agreements. Our asset-liability management ("ALM") process takes into account the expected maturity of investments and expected benefit payments as well as the specific nature and risk profile of the liabilities. As part of our liquidity management process, we model different scenarios to determine whether existing assets are adequate to meet projected cash flows.
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Capitalization
The primary components of our capital structure consist of debt and equity securities. Our capital position is supported by cash flows within our operating subsidiaries, the availability of borrowed funds under liquidity facilities, and any additional capital we raise to invest in the growth of the business and for general corporate purposes. We manage our capital position based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, our financial strength, the credit rating of Voya Financial, Inc. and of its insurance company subsidiaries and general macroeconomic conditions. We may repurchase or otherwise retire our debt and preferred stock and take other steps to reduce our debt and preferred stock or otherwise improve our financial position. These actions could include open market repurchases, negotiated repurchases, tender offers or other retirements of outstanding debt and opportunistic refinancing of debt. The amount that may be repurchased or otherwise retired, if any, will depend on market conditions, trading levels, cash position, compliance with covenants and other considerations.
See the Consolidated and Nonconsolidated Investment Entities Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details over changes in noncontrolling interest during the year and impacting capitalization.
Share Repurchase Program and Dividends to Common Shareholders
See the Shareholders' Equity Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information relating to authorizations by the Board of Directors to repurchase our shares and amounts of common stock repurchased pursuant to such authorizations for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. As of December 31, 2023, we were authorized to repurchase shares up to an aggregate purchase price of $397 million.
The following table provides a summary of common dividends and repurchases of common shares for the periods indicated:
| ($ in millions) | Year Ended December 31, | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2022 | |||||
| Dividends paid on common shares | $ | 125 | $ | 80 | ||
| Repurchases of common shares (at cost) | 374 | 750 | ||||
| Total | $ | 499 | $ | 830 |
Subsequent to December 31, 2023, we repurchased approximately 1.5 million shares pursuant to 10b5-1 plans and through open market repurchases for an aggregate purchase price of $107 million.
Preferred Stock
Our ability to declare or pay dividends on, or purchase, redeem or otherwise acquire, shares of our common stock will be substantially restricted in the event that we do not declare and pay (or set aside) dividends on the Series A and Series B preferred stock for the last preceding dividend period.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we declared and paid dividends of $20 million and $16 million on the Series A and Series B preferred stock, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we declared and paid dividends of $20 million and $16 million on the Series A and Series B preferred stock, respectively. As of December 31, 2023, there were no preferred stock dividends in arrears. See the Shareholders' Equity Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on preferred stock issuances.
Debt
As of December 31, 2023, we had $1 million of short-term debt borrowings outstanding consisting entirely of the current portion of long-term debt. The following table summarizes our borrowing activities for the year ended December 31, 2023:
| ($ in millions) | Beginning Balance | Issuance | Maturities and Repayment | Other Changes | Ending Balance | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total long-term debt | $ | 2,094 | $ | 400 | $ | (393) | $ | (4) | $ | 2,097 |
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As of December 31, 2022, we had $141 million of short-term debt borrowings outstanding consisting entirely of the current portion of long-term debt. The following table summarizes our borrowing activities for the year ended December 31, 2022:
| ($ in millions) | Beginning Balance | Issuance | Maturities and Repayment | Other Changes(1) | Ending Balance | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total long-term debt | $ | 2,595 | $ | — | $ | (366) | $ | (135) | $ | 2,094 |
(1) Other changes is primarily the reclassification of $140 million of debt maturing in 2023 from long-term debt to short-term debt.
See the Financing Agreements Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details over changes in debt during the year and impacting capitalization.
Put Option Agreement for Senior Debt Issuance
On May 1, 2023, we exercised the put option (the "Put Option") pursuant to the Put Option Agreement, dated March 17, 2015, with Peachtree Corners Funding Trust (the "Trust"), a Delaware trust formed in connection with the sale by the Trust of pre-capitalized trust securities ("P-Caps"), that provided us the right to issue up to $500 million aggregate principal amount of our 3.976% Senior Notes due 2025 (the "3.976% Senior Notes") to the Trust in exchange for a corresponding amount of U.S. Treasury securities that are held by the Trust.
On May 3, 2023, we issued $400 million aggregate principal amount of 3.976% Senior Notes to the Trust, and we received approximately $400 million of U.S. Treasury securities. The proceeds from the sale of the U.S. Treasury securities received by us in exchange for the 3.976% Senior Notes were used to redeem the 2053 Notes on May 15, 2023.
See the Financing Agreements Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information on the senior unsecured credit facility.
Credit Facilities
See the Financing Agreements Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information on credit facilities, including our senior unsecured credit facility.
Voya Financial, Inc. Credit Support of Subsidiaries
Voya Financial, Inc. provides guarantees to certain of our subsidiaries to support various business requirements:
•Voya Financial, Inc. guarantees the obligations of Voya Holdings under the $13 million principal amount 8.42% Series B Capital Securities due April 1, 2027, and provides a back-to-back guarantee to ING Group in respect of its guarantee of $218 million combined principal amount of Aetna Notes.
•Voya Financial, Inc. and Voya Holdings provide a guarantee of payment of obligations to certain subsidiaries under certain surplus notes held by those subsidiaries.
We did not recognize any asset or liability as of December 31, 2023 in relation to intercompany indemnifications, guarantees or support agreements. As of December 31, 2023, no guarantees existed in which we were required to currently perform under these arrangements.
Repurchase Agreements and Securities Pledged
We enter into reverse repurchase agreements and engage in dollar repurchase agreements with mortgage-backed securities ("dollar rolls") and repurchase agreements with other collateral types to increase our return on investments and improve liquidity. Additionally, we engage in securities lending whereby certain securities from our portfolio are loaned to other institutions for short periods of time.
See Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies and Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on repurchase agreements and our securities lending program.
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FHLB
We are currently a member of the FHLB of Boston and the FHLB of Des Moines and may engage in transactions with FHLB for investment income enhancement and/or liquidity purposes. We are required to maintain a collateral deposit to back any funding agreements issued by the FHLB. We have the ability to obtain funding from the FHLBs, in the form of non-putable funding agreements, based on a percentage of the value of our assets and subject to the availability of eligible collateral. The types of securities generally pledged include mortgage securities, commercial real estate and U.S. treasury securities. Our borrowing capacity is also limited by the lending value of our assets eligible to be pledged to the FHLB. As of December 31, 2023 our available collateral value was approximately $1.8 billion for VRIAC and RLI. As of December 31, 2022 the lending value of collateral was approximately $2.4 billion for VRIAC and RLI.
We had $1.2 billion and $1.3 billion in FHLB funding agreements as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, which are included in Contract owner account balances on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we had assets with a market value of approximately $2.0 billion and $1.8 billion, respectively, which collateralized the FHLB funding agreements.
Borrowings from Subsidiaries
We maintain revolving reciprocal loan agreements with a number of our life and non-life insurance subsidiaries that are used to fund short-term cash requirements that arise in the ordinary course of business. Under these agreements, either party may borrow up to the maximum allowable under the agreement for a term not more than 270 days. For life insurance subsidiaries, the amounts that either party may borrow under the agreement vary and are between 2% and 5% of the insurance subsidiary's statutory net admitted assets (excluding separate accounts) as of the previous year end depending on the state of domicile. As of December 31, 2023, the aggregate amount that may be borrowed or lent under agreements with life insurance subsidiaries was $1.4 billion. For non-life insurance subsidiaries, the maximum allowable under the agreement is based on the assets of the subsidiaries and their particular cash requirements. As of December 31, 2023, Voya Financial, Inc. had $445 million in outstanding borrowings from subsidiaries and had loaned $293 million to its subsidiaries.
Collateral - Derivative Contracts
See the Derivatives Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for information on collateral for derivatives.
Ratings
Our access to funding and our related cost of borrowing, collateral requirements for derivative instruments and the attractiveness of certain of our products to customers are affected by our credit ratings and insurance financial strength ratings, which are periodically reviewed by the rating agencies. Financial strength ratings and credit ratings are important factors affecting public confidence in an insurer and its competitive position in marketing products. Credit ratings are also important to our ability to raise capital through the issuance of debt and for the cost of such financing.
A downgrade in our credit ratings or the credit or financial strength ratings of our rated subsidiaries could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. See A downgrade or a potential downgrade in our financial strength or credit ratings may result in a loss of business and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition in Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Financial strength ratings represent the opinions of rating agencies regarding the financial ability of an insurance company to meet its obligations under an insurance policy. Credit ratings represent the opinions of rating agencies regarding an entity's ability to repay its indebtedness. These ratings are not a recommendation to buy or hold any of our securities and they may be revised or revoked at any time at the sole discretion of the rating organization.
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The financial strength and credit ratings of Voya Financial, Inc. and its principal subsidiaries as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are summarized in the following table.
| Rating Agency | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.M. Best | Fitch, Inc. | Moody's Investors Service, Inc. | Standard & Poor's | |||||
| ("A.M. Best")(1) | ("Fitch")(2) | ("Moody's")(3) | ("S&P")(4) | |||||
| Long-term Issuer Credit Rating/Outlook: | ||||||||
| Voya Financial, Inc. | (5) | BBB+/positive | Baa2/stable | BBB+/stable | ||||
| Financial Strength Rating/Outlook: | ||||||||
| Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company | (5) | A/positive | A2/stable | A+/stable | ||||
| ReliaStar Life Insurance Company | A/stable | A/positive | A2/stable | A+/stable | ||||
| ReliaStar Life Insurance Company of New York | A/stable | A/positive | A2/stable | A+/stable |
(1) A.M. Best's financial strength ratings for insurance companies range from "A++ (superior)" to "s (suspended)." Long-term credit ratings range from "aaa (exceptional)" to "s (suspended)."
(2) Fitch's financial strength ratings for insurance companies range from "AAA (exceptionally strong)" to "C (distressed)." Long-term credit ratings range from "AAA (highest credit quality)," which denotes exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, to "D (default)."
(3) Moody’s financial strength ratings for insurance companies range from "Aaa (exceptional)" to "C (lowest)." Numeric modifiers are used to refer to the ranking within the group with 1 being the highest and 3 being the lowest. These modifiers are used to indicate relative strength within a category. Long-term credit ratings range from "Aaa (highest)" to "C (default)."
(4) S&P's financial strength ratings for insurance companies range from "AAA (extremely strong)" to "D (default)." Long-term credit ratings range from "AAA (extremely strong)" to "D (default)."
(5) Effective April 11, 2019, A.M. Best withdrew, at the Company’s request, its financial strength ratings with respect to Voya Financial, Inc. and Voya Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company.
Rating agencies use an "outlook" statement for both industry sectors and individual companies. For an industry sector, a stable outlook generally implies that over the next 12 to 18 months the rating agency expects ratings to remain unchanged among companies in the sector. For a particular company, an outlook generally indicates a medium or long-term trend in credit fundamentals, which if continued, may lead to a rating change. In December of 2023, Moody’s confirmed its outlook for the U.S. life insurance sector as stable. Also, in November of 2023, A.M. Best maintained a stable outlook on the U.S. life insurance sector and Fitch changed its outlook from neutral to improving for the North American life insurance sector.
Reinsurance
We reinsure our business through a diversified group of well-capitalized, highly rated reinsurers. However, we remain liable to the extent our reinsurers do not meet their obligations under the reinsurance agreements. We monitor trends in arbitration and any litigation outcomes with our reinsurers. Collectability of reinsurance balances is evaluated by monitoring ratings and evaluating the financial strength of our reinsurers. Large reinsurance recoverable balances with offshore or other non-accredited reinsurers are secured through various forms of collateral, including secured trusts, funds withheld accounts and irrevocable LOCs. For additional information regarding our reinsurance recoverable balances, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Part II, Item 7A. and the Reinsurance Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Pension and Postretirement Plans
When contributing to our qualified retirement plans we will take into consideration the minimum and maximum amounts required by ERISA, the attained funding target percentage of the plan, the variable-rate premiums that may be required by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ("PBGC") and any funding relief that might be enacted by Congress. Contributions to our non-qualified plans and other postretirement and post-employment plans are funded from general assets of the respective sponsoring subsidiary company as benefits are paid.
For additional information on our pension and postretirement plan arrangements, see the Employee Benefit Arrangements Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Restrictions on Dividends and Returns of Capital from Subsidiaries
We depend on dividends and other distributions from our subsidiaries as the principal source of cash to meet our obligations. These subsidiaries include our principal subsidiaries listed in Our Organizational Structure in Part I, Item 1. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as other direct and indirect subsidiaries. Our insurance companies are subject to limitations on the payment of dividends and other transfers of funds to Voya Financial, Inc. and other affiliates under applicable insurance laws and regulations. These restrictions are based in part on the prior year’s statutory income and surplus. Generally, dividends up to specified levels are considered ordinary and may be paid without prior regulatory approval. Otherwise, dividends are considered extraordinary, and are subject to approval by the insurance department of the respective state of domicile of the insurance subsidiary requesting the dividend.
For a summary of dividends permitted without approval, dividends paid, and extraordinary distributions paid and applicable laws and regulations governing dividends, see the Insurance Subsidiaries Dividend Restrictions section of the Insurance Subsidiaries Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Other Subsidiaries - Dividends, Returns of Capital, and Capital Contributions
We may receive dividends from or contribute capital to our wholly owned non-life insurance subsidiaries such as broker-dealers, investment management entities and intermediate holding companies. For the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, dividends, net of capital contributions, received by Voya Financial, Inc. and Voya Holdings from non-life subsidiaries were $82 million and $75 million, respectively.
Statutory Capital and Risk-Based Capital of Principal Insurance Subsidiaries
Each of our Principal Insurance subsidiaries is subject to minimum risk-based capital (“RBC”) requirements based upon the laws of its state of domicile. The RBC formula for life insurance companies establishes capital requirements relating to asset, insurance, interest rate and business risks. RBC ratios, expressed as Total Adjusted Capital (“TAC”) to Company Action Level (“CAL”), may increase or decrease depending on a variety of factors including income or losses generated by the insurance subsidiary, additional capital held to support business objectives, market conditions, as well as changes to the NAIC RBC framework. State insurance regulators use the RBC requirements to identify inadequately capitalized insurers. Not meeting the minimum amount of capital based upon RBC requirements may subject the insurer to varying levels of regulatory oversight. As of December 31, 2023, the Total Adjusted Capital of each of our insurance subsidiaries exceeded statutory minimum RBC levels.
The following table summarizes the estimated ratio of TAC to CAL on a combined basis primarily for our Principal Insurance Subsidiaries adjusted for an intercompany loan of $435 million and $121 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
| ($ in millions) | ($ in millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| As of December 31, 2023 | As of December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CAL | TAC | Ratio | CAL | TAC | Ratio | ||||||||||||||||
| $ | 778 | $ | 3,365 | 433 | % | $ | 817 | $ | 4,002 | 490 | % |
For additional information regarding RBC, see Business-Regulation-Financial Regulation in Part I, Item 1. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For a summary of statutory capital and surplus of our Principal Insurance Subsidiaries, see the Insurance Subsidiaries Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Leverage Ratios
Our Leverage Ratios are a measure that we use to monitor the level of our debt relative to our total capitalization. The following table presents our leverage ratios for the periods indicated:
| As of December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Financial Debt | ||||||
| Total financial debt | $ | 2,098 | $ | 2,235 | ||
| Other financial obligations(1) | 312 | 265 | ||||
| Total financial obligations | 2,410 | 2,500 | ||||
| Mezzanine equity | ||||||
| Allianz noncontrolling interest | 175 | 166 | ||||
| Equity | ||||||
| Preferred equity(2) | 612 | 612 | ||||
| Common equity, excluding AOCI | 5,981 | 5,792 | ||||
| Total equity, excluding AOCI | 6,593 | 6,404 | ||||
| AOCI | (2,400) | (3,055) | ||||
| Total Voya Financial, Inc. shareholders' equity | 4,193 | 3,349 | ||||
| Noncontrolling interest | 1,685 | 1,482 | ||||
| Total shareholders' equity | $ | 5,878 | $ | 4,831 | ||
| Capital | ||||||
| Capitalization(3) | $ | 6,291 | $ | 5,584 | ||
| Adjusted capitalization excluding AOCI(4) | $ | 10,863 | $ | 10,552 | ||
| Leverage Ratios | ||||||
| Debt-to-Capital(5) | 33.3 | % | 40.0 | % | ||
| Financial Leverage excluding AOCI(6) | 27.8 | % | 29.5 | % |
(1) Includes operating leases, finance leases, and unfunded pension plan after-tax.
(2) Includes preferred stock par value and additional paid-in-capital.
(3) Includes Total financial debt and Total Voya Financial, Inc. shareholders' equity.
(4) Includes Total financial obligations, Mezzanine equity, and Total shareholders' equity excluding AOCI.
(5) Total financial debt divided by Capitalization.
(6) Total financial obligations and Preferred equity divided by Adjusted capitalization excluding AOCI.
Our Financial Leverage Ratio, excluding AOCI, decreased from 29.5% at December 31, 2022 to 27.8% at December 31, 2023. This decrease was primarily driven by Net income available to common shareholders which increased Common equity, excluding AOCI, a decrease in Total financial debt due to debt extinguishment and an increase in Noncontrolling interest, partially offset by repurchases of common stock which decreased Common equity, excluding AOCI.
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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Contractual Obligations
The following table presents our on- and off- balance sheet contractual obligations due in various periods as of December 31, 2023. The payments reflected in this table are based on our estimates and assumptions about these obligations and consequently the actual cash outflows in future periods will vary, possibly materially, from those presented in the table.
| ($ in millions) | Total | Less than 1 Year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 Years | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contractual Obligations: | ||||||||||||||||||
| Purchase obligations(1) | $ | 1,096 | $ | 1,086 | $ | 10 | $ | — | $ | — | ||||||||
| Reserves for insurance obligations(2)(3) | 55,415 | 5,069 | 7,265 | 6,828 | 36,253 | |||||||||||||
| Retirement and other plans(4) | 1,728 | 149 | 316 | 332 | 931 | |||||||||||||
| Short-term and long-term debt obligations(5) | 3,293 | 104 | 1,161 | 129 | 1,899 | |||||||||||||
| Operating leases(6) | 90 | 29 | 32 | 19 | 10 | |||||||||||||
| Finance leases(7) | 101 | 12 | 24 | 25 | 40 | |||||||||||||
| Securities lending, repurchase agreements and collateral held(8) | 1,347 | 1,230 | — | — | 117 | |||||||||||||
| Other obligations(9) | 159 | 61 | 98 | — | — | |||||||||||||
| Total(10) | $ | 63,229 | $ | 7,740 | $ | 8,906 | $ | 7,333 | $ | 39,250 |
(1) Purchase obligations consist primarily of outstanding commitments under alternative investments that may occur any time within the terms of the partnership and private loans. The exact timing, however, of funding these commitments related to partnerships and private loans cannot be estimated. Therefore, the amount of the commitments related to partnerships and private loans is included in the category "Less than 1 Year."
(2) Reserves for insurance obligations consist of amounts required to meet our future obligations for future policy benefits and contract owner account balances. Amounts presented in the table represent estimated cash payments under such contracts, including significant assumptions related to the receipt of future premiums, mortality, morbidity, lapse, renewal, retirement, disability and annuitization comparable with actual experience. These assumptions also include market growth and interest crediting assumptions. Estimated cash payments are undiscounted for the time value of money. Accordingly, the sum of cash flows presented of $55.4 billion significantly exceeds the sum of Future policy benefits and Contract owner account balances of $48.7 billion recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023. Estimated cash payments are also presented gross of reinsurance. Due to the significance of the assumptions used, the amounts presented could materially differ from actual results.
(3) Contractual obligations related to certain closed blocks that were divested through reinsurance to third parties with reserves in the amount of $1.1 billion, have been excluded from the table. Although we are not relieved of legal liability to the contract holder for these closed blocks, third-party collateral of $1.2 billion has been provided for the payment of the related insurance obligations. The sufficiency of collateral held for any individual block may vary.
(4) Includes estimated benefit payments under our qualified and non-qualified pension plans, estimated benefit payments under our other postretirement benefit plans, and estimated payments of deferred compensation based on participant elections and an average retirement age.
(5) The estimated payments due by period for long-term debt reflects the contractual maturities of principal, as well as estimated future interest payments. The payment of principal and estimated future interest for short-term debt are reflected in estimated payments due in less than one year. See the Financing Agreements Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information concerning the short-term and long-term debt obligations.
(6) Operating leases consist primarily of outstanding commitments for office space.
(7) Finance lease obligation is associated with office space leases or service contracts.
(8) Securities loan, repurchase agreements, and collateral held represent the liability to return collateral received from counterparties under securities lending agreements, OTC derivative and cleared derivative contracts as well as the obligations related to borrowings under repurchase agreements. Securities lending agreements include provisions which permit us to call back securities with minimal notice and accordingly, the payable is classified as having a term of less than 1 year. Additionally, Securities lending agreements and collateral held include off-balance sheet non-cash collateral of $215 million and $11 million, respectively.
(9) Other obligations consist of contingent consideration liability and liability on reinsurance.
(10) Unrecognized tax benefits are excluded from the table due to immateriality. In addition, in 2015 we entered into a put option agreement with a Delaware trust that gives Voya Financial, Inc. the right, at any time over a 10.0-year period, to issue up to $500 million of senior notes to the trust in return for principal and interest strips of U.S. Treasury securities that are held by the trust. See the Financing Agreements and Income Taxes Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form10-K for more information on this agreement.
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Critical Accounting Judgments and Estimates
General
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Critical estimates and assumptions are evaluated on an on-going basis based on historical developments, market conditions, industry trends and other information that is reasonable under the circumstances. There can be no assurance that actual results will conform to estimates and assumptions and that reported results of operations will not be materially affected by the need to make future accounting adjustments to reflect changes in these estimates and assumptions from time to time. Those estimates are inherently subject to change and actual results could differ from those estimates, and the differences may be material to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements.
We have identified the following accounting judgments and estimates as critical in that they involve a higher degree of judgment and are subject to a significant degree of variability:
•Reserves for future policy benefits;
•Valuation of investments and derivatives;
•Investment impairments;
•Goodwill and other intangible assets;
•Income taxes;
•Contingencies; and
•Employee benefit plans.
In developing these accounting estimates, we make subjective and complex judgments that are inherently uncertain and subject to material changes as facts and circumstances develop. Although variability is inherent in these estimates, we believe the amounts provided are appropriate based on the facts available upon preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Effective January 1, 2023, we adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-12, Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Long-Duration Contracts ("ASU 2018-12"). As a result, we made changes to the Reserves for future policy benefits critical accounting estimate, which are noted below. In addition, deferred policy acquisition costs and value of business acquired are no longer considered critical estimates, as the amortization methodology is no longer subject to a significant degree of variability and does not require a high degree of judgment.
The above critical accounting estimates are described in the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Reserves for Future Policy Benefits
Principal assumptions used to establish the liability for future policy benefits include mortality, morbidity, policy lapse, contract renewal, payment of subsequent premiums or deposits by the contract owner, retirement, inflation and benefit utilization. Other than interest rate assumptions, these assumptions are based on our experience and periodically reviewed against industry standards. The assumptions used require considerable judgments. Changes in, or deviations from, the assumptions used can significantly affect our reserve levels and related results of operations.
•Mortality is the incidence of death among policyholders triggering the payment of underlying insurance coverage by the insurer. In addition, mortality also refers to the ceasing of payments on life-contingent annuities due to the death of the annuitant. We utilize a combination of actual and industry experience when setting our mortality assumptions.
•A lapse rate is the percentage of in-force policies surrendered by the policyholder or canceled by us due to nonpayment of premiums. A decrease in policy lapses would result in an increase in persistency rates.
Interest rates used to calculate these reserves are based on an upper-medium grade (low-credit-risk) fixed-income instrument yield derived from observable market data.
Insurance and Other Reserves
Reserves for traditional life insurance contracts (term insurance, participating and non-participating whole life insurance and traditional group life insurance) and accident and health insurance represent the present value of future benefits to be paid to or on behalf of contract owners and related expenses, less the present value of future net premiums.
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Assumptions that are critical to the determination of expected future benefit payments and premium cash flows include estimates of mortality, morbidity and persistency and represent management's best estimate of future outcomes. We review these assumptions at least annually against actual experience and, based on additional information that becomes available, update them if necessary. The annual review of assumptions is generally performed in the third quarter and could have a significant impact on our reserves and results of operations.
For the third quarter of 2023, the impact of annual assumption updates was $67 million unfavorable, of which $8 million was an unfavorable impact to Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes. The unfavorable remeasurement impact within Adjusted operating earnings was related to the Health Solutions segment, primarily driven by unfavorable mortality experience. The total impact from assumption changes is mainly reflected in Interest credited to contract owner account balances, Policyholder benefits and Net gains (losses) in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
For the third quarter of 2022, the impact of annual assumption updates on Adjusted Operating earnings before income taxes was approximately $66 million favorable. This is comprised of favorable remeasurement reserve impact in our Health Solutions business driven by favorable mortality and morbidity experience.
Sensitivity
We perform sensitivity analyses to assess the impact that certain assumptions have on traditional reserves. The following table presents the estimated instantaneous net impact to income of various assumption changes on our reserves for future policy benefits and reinsurance. The effects are not representative of the aggregate impacts that could result if a combination of such changes to equity markets, interest rates and other assumptions occurred.
| ($ in millions) | As of December 31, 2023 | |
|---|---|---|
| An assumed increase in future mortality by 1% | $ | (1.6) |
| An assumed increase in future morbidity by 1% | $ | (0.3) |
| An assumed increase in future persistency by 1% | $ | (0.4) |
Increased assumed future mortality, morbidity, or persistency generally increases future policy benefits, thus decreasing income before income taxes.
Product Guarantees
The assumptions used to establish the liabilities for our product guarantees require considerable judgment and are established as management's best estimate of future outcomes. We periodically review these assumptions and, if necessary, update them based on additional information that becomes available. Changes in, or deviations from, the assumptions used can significantly affect our reserve levels and related results of operations.
Stabilizer and MCG: We also issue stabilizer ("Stabilizer") contracts that contain embedded derivatives that are measured at estimated fair value separately from the host contracts. The managed custody guarantee product ("MCG") is a stand-alone derivative and is measured in its entirety at estimated fair value.
The estimated fair value of the Stabilizer embedded derivative and MCG stand-alone derivative is determined based on the present value of projected future claims, minus the present value of future guaranteed premiums. At inception of the contract, we project a guaranteed premium to be equal to the present value of the projected future claims. The income associated with the contracts is projected using actuarial and capital market assumptions, including benefits and related contract charges, over the anticipated life of the related contracts. The cash flow estimates are projected under multiple capital market scenarios using observable risk-free rates and other best estimate assumptions.
The liabilities for Stabilizer embedded derivatives and the MCG stand-alone derivative include a risk margin to capture uncertainties related to policyholder behavior assumptions. The margin represents additional compensation a market participant would require to assume these risks.
The discount rate used to determine the fair value of the liabilities for our Stabilizer embedded derivatives and the MCG stand-alone derivative includes an adjustment to reflect the risk that these obligations will not be fulfilled ("nonperformance risk"). Our nonperformance risk adjustment is based on a blend of observable, similarly rated peer holding company credit spreads,
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adjusted to reflect the credit quality of our individual insurance subsidiary that issued the guarantee, as well as an adjustment to reflect the non-default spreads and the priority and recovery rates of policyholder claims.
Universal and Variable Universal Life: Reserves for universal life ("UL") and variable universal life ("VUL") secondary guarantees and paid-up guarantees are calculated by estimating the expected value of death benefits payable and recognizing those benefits ratably over the accumulation period based on total expected assessments. The reserve for such products recognizes the portion of contract assessments received in early years used to compensate us for benefits provided in later years. Key assumptions used in estimating these reserves include rates of interest, lapse, and mortality.
See the Reserves for Future Policy Benefits and Contract Owner Account Balances Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on our reserves for future policy benefits and contract owner account balances. In addition, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Part II, Item 7A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional information regarding specific hedging strategies we utilize to mitigate risk for the product guarantees, as well as sensitivities of the embedded derivative and stand-alone derivative liabilities to changes in certain capital markets assumptions.
Valuation of Investments and Derivatives
Our investment portfolio includes certain investments recorded at fair value and consists of public and private fixed maturity securities, commercial mortgage and other loans, equity securities, short-term investments, other invested assets and derivative financial instruments. We enter into interest rate, equity market, credit default and currency contracts, including swaps, futures, forwards, caps, floors and options, to reduce and manage various risks associated with changes in value, yield, price, cash flow or exchange rates of assets or liabilities held or intended to be held, or to assume or reduce credit exposure associated with a referenced asset, index or pool. We also utilize options and futures on equity indices to reduce and manage risks associated with our universal-life type and annuity products.
See the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note and the Derivative Financial Instruments Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
Investments
We measure the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities based on assumptions used by market participants in pricing the asset or liability, which may include inherent risk, restrictions on the sale or use of an asset, or nonperformance risk, including our own credit risk. The estimate of fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability ("exit price") in an orderly transaction between market participants in the principal market, or the most advantageous market in the absence of a principal market, for that asset or liability. We use a number of valuation sources to determine the fair values of our financial assets and liabilities, including quoted market prices, third-party commercial pricing services, third-party brokers, industry-standard, vendor-provided software that models the value based on market observable inputs, and other internal modeling techniques based on projected cash flows.
We categorize our financial instruments into a three-level hierarchy based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique. The fair value hierarchy gives the highest priority to quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities (Level 1) and the lowest priority to unobservable inputs (Level 3). If the inputs used to measure fair value fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the category level is based on the lowest priority level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.
When available, the estimated fair value of securities is based on quoted prices in active markets that are readily and regularly obtainable. When quoted prices in active markets are not available, the determination of estimated fair value is based on market standard valuation methodologies, including discounted cash flows, matrix pricing or other similar techniques. Inputs to these methodologies include, but are not limited to, market observable inputs such as benchmark yields, credit quality, issuer spreads, bids, offers and cash flow characteristics of the security. For privately placed bonds, we also consider such factors as the net worth of the borrower, value of the collateral, the capital structure of the borrower, the presence of guarantees, and the borrower's ability to compete in its relevant market. Valuations are reviewed and validated monthly by an internal valuation committee using price variance reports, comparisons to internal pricing models, back testing of recent trades, and monitoring of trading volumes, as appropriate.
The valuation of financial assets and liabilities involves considerable judgment, is subject to considerable variability, is established using management's best estimate, and is revised as additional information becomes available. As such, changes in,
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or deviations from, the assumptions used in such valuations can significantly affect our results of operations. Financial markets are subject to significant movements in valuation and liquidity, which can impact our ability to liquidate and the selling price that can be realized for our securities.
Derivatives
Derivatives are carried at fair value, which is determined by using observable key financial data, such as yield curves, exchange rates, S&P 500 prices, London Interbank Offered Rates ("LIBOR"), Overnight Index Swap Rates ("OIS") and Secured Overnight Financing Rates ("SOFR"), or through values established by third-party sources, such as brokers. Valuations for our futures contracts are based on unadjusted quoted prices from an active exchange. Counterparty credit risk is considered and incorporated in our valuation process through counterparty credit rating requirements and monitoring of overall exposure. Our own credit risk is also considered and incorporated in our valuation process.
We have certain credit default swaps ("CDS") and options that are priced by third party vendors or by using models that primarily use market observable inputs, but contain inputs that are not observable to market participants.
We also have investments in certain fixed maturities and have issued certain universal life-type ("UL-type") and annuity products that contain embedded derivatives for which fair value is at least partially determined by levels of or changes in domestic and/or foreign interest rates (short-term or long-term), exchange rates, prepayment rates, equity markets, or credit ratings/spreads. The fair values of these embedded derivatives are determined using prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. For additional information regarding the valuation of and significant assumptions associated with embedded derivatives and stand-alone derivatives associated with certain UL-type and annuity contracts, see "Reserves for Future Policy Benefits" above.
In addition, we have entered into coinsurance with funds withheld and modified coinsurance reinsurance arrangements that contain embedded derivatives. The fair value of the embedded derivatives is based on the change in the fair value of the underlying assets held in the trust using the valuation methods and assumptions described for our investments held.
The valuation of derivatives involves considerable judgment, is subject to considerable variability, is established using management's best estimate and is revised as additional information becomes available. As such, changes in, or deviations from, these assumptions used in such valuations can have a significant effect on the results of operations.
For additional information regarding the fair value of our investments and derivatives, see the Fair Value Measurements (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. For additional information regarding the sensitivities of interest rate risk and equity market price risk and impact on investments and derivatives, see Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk in Part II, Item 7A. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Investment Impairments
Fixed maturities, available-for-sale, and mortgage loans on real estate can be subject to credit impairment, which can have a significant effect on the results of operations. Refer to the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for an understanding of our methodology and significant inputs considered within the allowance for credit losses and impairments. For additional information regarding the evaluation process for credit impairments, refer to the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets
Goodwill and other intangible assets are established based on estimates of fair value as of the date of acquisition in a business combination. The fair valuation methodologies utilized in connection with testing goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment are subject to key judgments and assumptions that are sensitive to change. Goodwill and other intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized. Intangibles with finite lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives. We assess goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment annually, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired.
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Goodwill
Goodwill testing is performed at the reporting unit level and consists of qualitative or quantitative assessments. In the qualitative assessment, we consider relevant events and circumstances that could affect the significant inputs used to determine the fair value of the reporting unit. If, when reviewing the qualitative factors, it is determined it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, a quantitative impairment test is performed. The determination of fair value for our reporting units is primarily based on an income approach whereby we use discounted cash flows for each reporting unit. We apply significant judgment to our discounted cash flow models when determining the estimated fair value of our reporting units. The key inputs, judgments and assumptions necessary in determining estimated fair value of the reporting units include projected adjusted earnings, current book value, the level of economic capital required to support the mix of business, long-term growth rates, comparative market multiples, projections of new and renewed business, as well as margins on such business, interest rate levels, credit spreads, equity market levels, and the discount rate that we believe is appropriate for the respective reporting unit. As a result of goodwill testing, the Company concluded there was no requirement for goodwill impairment for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021.
Other Intangible Assets
The Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets primarily relate to the right to manage client assets. The approach to testing indefinite-lived intangibles is similar to the impairment testing approach applied to goodwill, except that the testing is performed with reference to the carrying amount and fair value of the intangible asset.
Finite-lived intangible assets include primarily management contract rights, customer relationship lists and computer software and are reviewed periodically for indicators of change in useful lives or impairment. If facts and circumstances suggest possible impairment, the sum of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset is compared to the carrying value of the asset. If the carrying value of the asset exceeds the undiscounted cash flows, the asset is written down to its fair value determined using discounted cash flows. Significant estimates in the determination of fair value for this purpose include the projected net cash flow attributable to the intangible asset and the rate at which future net cash flows are discounted for purposes of estimating fair value, as applicable.
During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Company recognized an impairment loss in relation to a management contract rights intangible asset associated with a prior acquisition within the Investment Management segment, which is included in Operating expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2023, and excluded from Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes. See the Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for additional details on the impairment.
Income Taxes
Valuation Allowances
We use certain assumptions and estimates in determining the income taxes payable or refundable for the current year, the deferred tax liabilities and assets for items recognized differently in our Consolidated Financial Statements from amounts shown on our income tax returns and the federal income tax expense. Determining these amounts requires analysis and interpretation of current tax laws and regulations, including the loss limitation rules associated with change in control. We exercise considerable judgment in evaluating the amount and timing of recognition of the resulting income tax liabilities and assets. These judgments are reevaluated on a quarterly basis and as regulatory and business factors change.
During the year, we had gains on available-for-sale securities in Other comprehensive income of $863 million, resulting in overall unrealized capital losses of $(2.3) billion in Accumulated other comprehensive income as of December 31, 2023. The gains generated during the year reduced the prior year deferred tax asset ("DTA") related to the unrealized capital losses. We expect this DTA to be utilized by our capital loss carryback capacity and hold to maturity tax planning strategy. Significant future increases to interest rates and/or the occurrence of other unexpected circumstances, such as changes in the economic environment, liquidity and investment strategy, could result in recording a related valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets in a future period.
For additional understanding over the Company's valuation allowance, refer to the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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In December 2014, we entered into an Issue Resolution Agreement ("IA") with the IRS relating to the Internal Revenue Code Section 382 calculation of the annual limitation on the use of certain of the Company’s federal tax attributes that will apply as a consequence of the Section 382 event experienced by the Company in March 2014. We do not expect the annual limitation to impact our ability to utilize the losses or credits.
For further information on our income taxes, including information on the valuation allowance, see the Income Taxes Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Tax Contingencies
We recognize the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not to be sustained under examination by the applicable taxing authority. We also consider positions that have been reviewed and agreed to as part of an examination by the applicable taxing authority. For items that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, we measure the tax position as the largest amount of benefit that is more than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate resolution with the applicable tax authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Tax positions that do not meet the more-likely-than-not standard are not recognized.
Changes in Law
Certain changes or future events, such as changes in tax legislation, geographic mix of earnings, completion of tax audits, planning opportunities and expectations about future outcomes could have an impact on our estimates of deferred taxes, valuation allowances, tax provisions, and effective tax rates.
In August 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which includes a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax ("CAMT") and a 1% excise tax on the fair market value of stock that is repurchased by publicly traded U.S. corporations or their specified affiliates. The CAMT and the excise tax are effective in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022. The Internal Revenue Service has only issued limited guidance on the CAMT, and uncertainty remains regarding the application of and potential adjustments to the CAMT. Based on this guidance, we do not expect to be subject to the CAMT for 2024. We do expect to be subject to the 1% excise tax but do not expect that it will have a material impact to our financial statements.
Contingencies
For information regarding our contingencies, see the Commitments and Contingencies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Employee Benefits Plans
We sponsor both qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension plans (the "Plans") and other postretirement benefit plans covering eligible employees, sales representatives and other individuals. For accounting policies and more information related to our employee benefit plans, see the Employee Benefit Arrangements Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
The Voya Retirement Plan (the "Retirement Plan") is a tax qualified defined benefit plan, the benefits of which are guaranteed (within certain specified legal limits) by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation ("PBGC"). Beginning January 1, 2012, the Retirement Plan adopted a cash balance pension formula instead of a final average pay ("FAP") formula, allowing all eligible employees to participate in the Retirement Plan. Participants earn an annual credit equal to 4% of eligible compensation. Interest is credited monthly based on a 30-year U.S. Treasury securities bond rate published by the IRS in the preceding August of each year. The accrued vested cash pension balance benefit is portable; participants can take it if they leave us.
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The table below summarizes the components of the net actuarial (gains) losses related to the Plans' pension obligations recognized within Operating expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Gain)/Loss Recognized ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Discount Rate | $ | 37 | $ | (571) | ||
| Asset Returns | (49) | 534 | ||||
| Demographic Data and other | 8 | 31 | ||||
| Total Net Actuarial (Gain)/Loss Recognized | $ | (4) | $ | (6) |
For the year ended December 31, 2023, we decreased our Plans' discount rate by 0.19% resulting in an increase in our benefit obligations and a corresponding actuarial loss of $37 million. This decrease in the discount rate was driven by the decrease in corporate AA yields. For the year ended December 31, 2022, we increased our Plans' discount rate by 2.47% resulting in an decrease in our benefit obligations and a corresponding actuarial gain of $571 million. This increase in the discount rate was driven by increase in the 30-year Treasury and corporate AA yields.
The asset returns are only applicable to the Retirement Plan as assets are not held by any of the other pension and other postretirement plans. Our expected long-term rate of return on our Retirement Plan assets was 5.82% and 4.85% for 2023 and 2022, respectively. Our expected return on Retirement Plan assets is calculated using 30-year forward looking assumptions based on the long-term target asset allocation. In 2023, the actual return on our Retirement Plan assets was approximately 9.0%, resulting in an actuarial gain of $49 million. In 2022, the actual return on our Retirement Plan assets was approximately (19.1)%, resulting in an actuarial loss of $534 million.
Sensitivity
The discount rate and expected rate of return assumptions relating to our defined benefit pension plans have historically had the most significant effect on our net periodic benefit costs and the projected and accumulated projected benefit obligations associated with these plans.
The discount rate is based on current market information provided by plan actuaries. The discount rate modeling process involves selecting a portfolio of high quality, non-callable bonds that will match the cash flows of the defined benefit pension plans. The weighted average discount rate in 2023 for the net periodic benefit cost was 5.47% for the Plans. The discount rate as of December 31, 2023 for the benefit obligation of the Plans was 5.28%.
As of December 31, 2023, the sensitivities of the effect of a change in the discount rate are as presented below. This represents the estimate of actuarial gains (losses) that would be recognized immediately through Operating expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations:
| ($ in millions) | Increase (Decrease) in Net Periodic Benefit Cost-Pension Plans | |
|---|---|---|
| Increase in discount rate by 100 basis points | $ | (181) |
| Decrease in discount rate by 100 basis points | 216 |
| ($ in millions) | Increase (Decrease) in Pension Benefit Obligation | |
|---|---|---|
| Increase in discount rate by 100 basis points | $ | (181) |
| Decrease in discount rate by 100 basis points | 216 |
The discount rate to be used to determine interest cost for 2024 is 5.28%. The estimated impact of this change, as well as actuarial loss on discount rate experienced during 2023, is expected to have an immaterial impact on our net periodic pension cost.
The expected rate of return considers the asset allocation, historical returns on the types of assets held and current economic environment. Based on these factors, we expect that the assets will earn an average percentage per year over the long term. This estimation is based on an active return on a compound basis, with a reduction for administrative expenses and manager fees
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paid to non-affiliated companies from the assets. For estimation purposes, we assume the long-term asset mix will be consistent with the current mix. Changes in the asset mix could impact the amount of recorded pension income or expense, the funded status of the Retirement Plan and the need for future cash contributions. The expected rate of return for 2023 was 5.82%, net of expenses, for the Retirement Plan.
As of December 31, 2023, the effect of a change in the actual rate of return on the net periodic benefit cost is presented in the table below. This represents the estimate of actuarial gains (losses) that would be recognized immediately through Operating expenses in our Consolidated Statements of Operations:
| ($ in millions) | Increase (Decrease) in Net Periodic Benefit Cost-Pension Plans | |
|---|---|---|
| Increase in actual rate of return by 100 basis points | $ | (17) |
| Decrease in actual rate of return by 100 basis points | 17 |
The expected rate of return for 2024 is 6.0%, net of expenses, for the Retirement Plan. The estimated impact of this change as well as the actuarial gain experienced on plan assets in 2023 is expected to decrease our net periodic benefit cost by approximately $8 million.
Impact of New Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding the impact of new accounting pronouncements, see the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities)
Investments for our general account are managed by our wholly owned asset manager, Voya Investment Management LLC, pursuant to investment advisory agreements with affiliates. In addition, our internal treasury group manages our holding company liquidity investments, primarily money market funds.
Investment Strategy
Our investment strategy seeks to achieve sustainable risk-adjusted returns by focusing on principal preservation, disciplined matching of asset characteristics with liability requirements and the diversification of risks. Investment activities are undertaken according to investment policy statements that contain internally established guidelines and risk tolerances and are required to comply with applicable laws and insurance regulations. Risk tolerances are established for credit risk, credit spread risk, market risk, liquidity risk and concentration risk across issuers, sectors and asset types that seek to mitigate the impact of cash flow variability arising from these risks.
Segmented portfolios are established for groups of products with similar liability characteristics. Our investment portfolio consists largely of high quality fixed maturities and short-term investments, investments in commercial mortgage loans, alternative investments and other instruments, including a small amount of equity holdings. Fixed maturities include publicly issued corporate bonds, government bonds, privately placed notes and bonds, bonds issued by states and municipalities, ABS, traditional MBS and various collateralized mortgage obligation ("CMO") tranches managed in combination with financial derivatives as part of a proprietary strategy known as CMO-B.
We use derivatives for hedging purposes to reduce our exposure to the cash flow variability of assets and liabilities, interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. In addition, we use credit derivatives to replicate exposure to individual securities or pools of securities as a means of achieving credit exposure similar to bonds of the underlying issuer(s) more efficiently.
See the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information on investments. Additionally, see the Consolidated Balance Sheets to our Consolidated Financial Statements Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a composition of our investment portfolio.
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Fixed Maturities Credit Quality - Ratings
The Securities Valuation Office ("SVO") of the NAIC evaluates the fixed maturity security investments of insurers for regulatory reporting and capital assessment purposes and assigns securities to one of six credit quality categories called "NAIC designations." An internally developed rating is used as permitted by the NAIC if no rating is available. These designations are generally similar to the credit quality designations of the NAIC acceptable rating organizations ("ARO") for marketable fixed maturity securities, called rating agency designations except for certain structured securities as described below. NAIC designations of "1," highest quality and "2," high quality, include fixed maturity securities generally considered investment grade by such rating organizations. NAIC designations 3 through 6 include fixed maturity securities generally considered below investment grade by such rating organizations.
The NAIC designations for structured securities, including subprime and Alt-A RMBS, are based upon a comparison of the bond's amortized cost to the NAIC's loss expectation for each security. Securities where modeling results in no expected loss in each scenario are considered to have the highest designation of NAIC 1. A large percentage of our RMBS securities carry the NAIC 1 designation while the ARO rating indicates below investment grade. This is primarily due to the credit and intent impairments recorded by us that reduced the amortized cost on these securities to a level resulting in no expected loss in any scenario, which corresponds to the NAIC 1 designation. The methodology reduces regulatory reliance on rating agencies and allows for greater regulatory input into the assumptions used to estimate expected losses from such structured securities. In the tables below, we present the rating of structured securities based on ratings from the NAIC methodologies described above (which may not correspond to rating agency designations). NAIC designations (e.g., NAIC 1-6) are based on the NAIC methodologies.
As a result of time lags between the funding of investments, the finalization of legal documents and the completion of the SVO filing process, the fixed maturity portfolio generally includes securities, that have not yet been rated by the SVO as of each balance sheet date, such as private placements. Pending receipt of SVO ratings, the categorization of these securities by NAIC designation is based on the expected ratings indicated by internal analysis.
Information about certain of our fixed maturity securities holdings by the NAIC designation is set forth in the following tables. Corresponding rating agency designation does not directly translate into NAIC designation, but represents our best estimate of comparable ratings from rating agencies, including Moody's, S&P and Fitch. If no rating is available from a rating agency, then an internally developed rating is used. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the weighted average NAIC quality rating of our fixed maturities portfolio was 1.5.
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The following tables present credit quality of fixed maturities, including securities pledged, using NAIC designations as of the dates indicated:
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAIC Quality Designation | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total Fair Value | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Treasuries | $ | 403 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 403 | ||||||||||||
| U.S. Government agencies and authorities | 56 | — | — | — | — | — | 56 | |||||||||||||||||||
| State, municipalities and political subdivisions | 732 | 39 | — | — | — | — | 771 | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate public securities | 2,493 | 4,891 | 239 | 42 | 1 | — | 7,666 | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate private securities | 1,799 | 2,576 | 312 | 64 | 9 | — | 4,760 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate public securities and foreign governments(1) | 834 | 1,669 | 113 | 84 | — | 2 | 2,702 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate private securities(1) | 280 | 2,396 | 114 | 4 | 18 | — | 2,812 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Residential mortgage-backed securities | 3,415 | 35 | 8 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 3,476 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial mortgage-backed securities | 2,879 | 484 | 94 | 16 | 15 | 7 | 3,495 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other asset-backed securities | 2,143 | 284 | 7 | 11 | 1 | 24 | 2,470 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total fixed maturities | $ | 15,034 | $ | 12,374 | $ | 887 | $ | 222 | $ | 53 | $ | 41 | $ | 28,611 | ||||||||||||
| % of Fair Value | 52.6% | 43.2% | 3.1% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 100.0% |
(1) Primarily U.S. dollar denominated.
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAIC Quality Designation | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Total Fair Value | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Treasuries | $ | 581 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 581 | ||||||||||||
| U.S. Government agencies and authorities | 59 | — | — | — | — | — | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||
| State, municipalities and political subdivisions | 787 | 58 | — | — | — | — | 845 | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate public securities | 2,485 | 5,357 | 307 | 36 | — | 16 | 8,201 | |||||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate private securities | 1,684 | 2,677 | 234 | 89 | 8 | — | 4,692 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate public securities and foreign governments(1) | 945 | 1,829 | 104 | 64 | — | 7 | 2,949 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate private securities(1) | 367 | 2,531 | 99 | 26 | 11 | — | 3,034 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Residential mortgage-backed securities | 3,919 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 9 | 3,977 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Commercial mortgage-backed securities | 3,258 | 521 | 85 | 12 | 5 | 2 | 3,883 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Other asset-backed securities | 1,767 | 325 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 21 | 2,136 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total fixed maturities | $ | 15,852 | $ | 13,332 | $ | 840 | $ | 238 | $ | 40 | $ | 55 | $ | 30,357 | ||||||||||||
| % of Fair Value | 52.2% | 43.9% | 2.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 100.0% |
(1) Primarily U.S. dollar denominated.
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The fixed maturities in our portfolio are generally rated by external rating agencies and, if not externally rated, are rated by us on a basis similar to that used by the rating agencies. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the weighted average quality rating of our fixed maturities portfolio was A. Ratings are derived from three ARO ratings and are applied as follows, based on the number of agency ratings received:
• when three ratings are received then the middle rating is applied;
• when two ratings are received then the lower rating is applied;
• when a single rating is received, the ARO rating is applied; and
• when ratings are unavailable then an internal rating is applied.
The following tables present credit quality of fixed maturities, including securities pledged, using ARO ratings as of the dates indicated:
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARO Quality Ratings(2) | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Treasuries | $ | — | $ | 403 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 403 | ||||||||||
| U.S. Government agencies and authorities | — | 55 | — | — | 1 | 56 | ||||||||||||||||
| State, municipalities and political subdivisions | 46 | 447 | 239 | 39 | — | 771 | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate public securities | 25 | 351 | 2,209 | 4,785 | 296 | 7,666 | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate private securities | 22 | 231 | 1,509 | 2,546 | 452 | 4,760 | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate public securities and foreign governments(1) | 8 | 147 | 728 | 1,598 | 221 | 2,702 | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate private securities(1) | — | 40 | 216 | 2,360 | 196 | 2,812 | ||||||||||||||||
| Residential mortgage-backed securities | 1,157 | 2,075 | 31 | 48 | 165 | 3,476 | ||||||||||||||||
| Commercial mortgage-backed securities | 249 | 1,360 | 770 | 949 | 167 | 3,495 | ||||||||||||||||
| Other asset-backed securities | 189 | 593 | 1,345 | 289 | 54 | 2,470 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total fixed maturities | $ | 1,696 | $ | 5,702 | $ | 7,047 | $ | 12,614 | $ | 1,552 | $ | 28,611 | ||||||||||
| % of Fair Value | 5.9% | 19.9% | 24.6% | 44.2% | 5.4% | 100.0% |
(1) Primarily U.S. dollar denominated.
(2) In 2023, Fitch downgraded the United States long-term credit rating from AAA to AA+. As a result, the effective ratings on all Treasury and Agency guaranteed mortgage-backed securities were similarly lowered from AAA to AA+.
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARO Quality Ratings | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Treasuries | $ | 581 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 581 | ||||||||||
| U.S. Government agencies and authorities | 51 | 8 | — | — | — | 59 | ||||||||||||||||
| State, municipalities and political subdivisions | 48 | 503 | 236 | 58 | — | 845 | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate public securities | 29 | 408 | 2,320 | 5,063 | 381 | 8,201 | ||||||||||||||||
| U.S. corporate private securities | 58 | 185 | 1,368 | 2,728 | 353 | 4,692 | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate public securities and foreign governments(1) | 8 | 168 | 802 | 1,774 | 197 | 2,949 | ||||||||||||||||
| Foreign corporate private securities(1) | — | 42 | 297 | 2,541 | 154 | 3,034 | ||||||||||||||||
| Residential mortgage-backed securities | 3,089 | 188 | 113 | 206 | 381 | 3,977 | ||||||||||||||||
| Commercial mortgage-backed securities | 1,304 | 425 | 927 | 1,058 | 169 | 3,883 | ||||||||||||||||
| Other asset-backed securities | 187 | 447 | 1,117 | 330 | 55 | 2,136 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total fixed maturities | $ | 5,355 | $ | 2,374 | $ | 7,180 | $ | 13,758 | $ | 1,690 | $ | 30,357 | ||||||||||
| % of Fair Value | 17.6% | 7.8% | 23.7% | 45.3% | 5.6% | 100.0% |
(1) Primarily U.S. dollar denominated.
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Fixed maturities rated BB and below may have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances that are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the issuer to make principal and interest payments than is the case with higher rated fixed maturities.
Unrealized Capital Losses
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, we held six and ten fixed maturities with unrealized capital loss in excess of $10 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the unrealized capital losses on these fixed maturities were $70 million or 2.6% and $114 million or 3.3% of the total unrealized losses, respectively.
As of December 31, 2023, we held $2.1 billion of energy sector fixed maturity securities, constituting 7.3% of the total fixed maturities portfolio, with gross unrealized capital losses of $104 million, including zero energy sector fixed maturity security with unrealized capital losses in excess of $10 million. As of December 31, 2023, our fixed maturity exposure to the energy sector is comprised of 92.1% investment grade securities.
As of December 31, 2022, we held $1.9 billion of energy sector fixed maturity securities, constituting 6.1% of the total fixed maturities portfolio, with gross unrealized capital losses of $160 million, including one energy sector fixed maturity security with unrealized capital losses in excess of $10 million. The unrealized capital loss on this fixed maturity security equaled $11 million. As of December 31, 2022, our fixed maturity exposure to the energy sector is comprised of 88% investment grade securities.
See the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on unrealized capital losses.
CMO-B Portfolio
As part of our broadly diversified investment portfolio, we have a core holding in a proprietary mortgage derivatives strategy known as CMO-B, which invests in a variety of CMO securities in combination with interest rate derivatives in targeting a specific type of exposure to the U.S. residential mortgage market. Because of their relative complexity and generally small natural buyer base, we believe certain types of CMO securities are consistently priced below their intrinsic value, thereby providing a source of potential return for investors in this strategy.
The CMO securities that are part of our CMO-B portfolio are either notional or principal securities, backed by the interest and principal components, respectively, of mortgages secured by single-family residential real estate. There are many variations of these two types of securities including interest only and principal only securities, as well as inverse-floating rate (principal) securities and inverse interest only securities, all of which are part of our CMO-B portfolio. This strategy has been in place for nearly two decades and thus far has been a significant source of investment income while exhibiting relatively low volatility and correlation compared to the other asset types in the investment portfolio, although we cannot predict whether favorable returns will continue in future periods.
To protect against the potential for credit loss associated with financially troubled borrowers, investments in our CMO-B portfolio are primarily in CMO securities backed by one of the government sponsored entities: the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") or Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae").
Because the timing of the receipt of the underlying cash flow is highly dependent on the level and direction of interest rates, our CMO-B portfolio also has exposure to both interest rate and convexity risk. The exposure to interest rate risk, the potential for changes in value that results from changes in the general level of interest rates, is managed to a defined target duration using interest rate swaps and interest rate futures. The exposure to convexity risk-the potential for changes in value that result from changes in duration caused by changes in interest rates-is dynamically hedged using interest rate swaps and at times, interest rate swaptions.
Prepayment risk represents the potential for adverse changes in portfolio value resulting from changes in residential mortgage prepayment speed (actual and projected), which in turn depends on a number of factors, including conditions in both credit markets and housing markets. Changes in the prepayment behavior of homeowners represent both a risk and potential source of return for our CMO-B portfolio. As a result, we seek to invest in securities that are broadly diversified by collateral type to take advantage of the uncorrelated prepayment experiences of homeowners with unique characteristics that influence their ability or
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desire to prepay their mortgage. We choose collateral types and individual securities based on an in-depth quantitative analysis of prepayment incentives across available borrower types.
The following table presents fixed maturities balances held in the CMO-B portfolio by NAIC quality rating as of the dates indicated:
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NAIC Quality Designation | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | % Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | % Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | $ | 1,779 | $ | 1,795 | 97.3 | % | $ | 2,267 | $ | 2,270 | 97.9 | % | ||||||||||
| 2 | 33 | 33 | 1.8 | % | 33 | 32 | 1.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | — | 1 | 0.1 | % | — | — | — | % | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | — | — | — | % | — | — | — | % | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | 4 | 7 | 0.4 | % | 5 | 7 | 0.3 | % | ||||||||||||||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 0.4 | % | 8 | 9 | 0.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,823 | $ | 1,844 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,313 | $ | 2,318 | 100.0 | % |
For CMO securities where we elected the fair value option ("FVO"), amortized cost represents the market values. For details on the NAIC designation methodology, please see "Fixed Maturities Credit Quality-Ratings" above.
The following table presents the notional amounts and fair values of interest rate derivatives not qualifying for hedge accounting and used in our CMO-B portfolio as of the dates indicated:
| December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | Notional Amount | Asset Fair Value | Liability Fair Value | Notional Amount | Asset Fair Value | Liability Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||
| Interest Rate Contracts | $ | 11,234 | $ | 143 | $ | 321 | $ | 12,414 | $ | 215 | $ | 350 |
The Company utilize interest rate futures and interest rate swaps as a part of the CMO-B portfolio to hedge interest rate risk.
The following table presents our CMO-B fixed maturity securities balances and tranche type as of the dates indicated:
| ($ in millions) | December 31, 2023 | December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tranche Type | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | % Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | % Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||
| Inverse Floater | $ | 72 | $ | 78 | 4.2 | % | $ | 70 | $ | 79 | 3.4 | % | ||||||||||
| Interest Only (IO) | 965 | 966 | 52.5 | % | 914 | 915 | 39.5 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Inverse IO | 519 | 530 | 28.7 | % | 527 | 528 | 22.8 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Principal Only (PO) | 65 | 65 | 3.5 | % | 77 | 79 | 3.4 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Floater | 5 | 5 | 0.3 | % | 6 | 6 | 0.3 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Agency Credit Risk Transfer | 169 | 172 | 9.3 | % | 645 | 638 | 27.5 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Other | 28 | 28 | 1.5 | % | 74 | 73 | 3.1 | % | ||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,823 | $ | 1,844 | 100.0 | % | $ | 2,313 | $ | 2,318 | 100.0 | % |
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the market value of our CMO-B securities portfolio was lower on a combination of transactional activity and valuation movements among tranche types. Transactional activity includes participating in tender offers of Agency Credit Risk Transfer securities.
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The following table presents the returns of our CMO-B portfolio for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Net investment income | $ | 300 | $ | 489 | $ | 599 | ||||
| Net gains (losses)(1) | (106) | (437) | (642) | |||||||
| Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes | $ | 194 | $ | 52 | $ | (43) |
(1) Net gains (losses) also include derivatives interest settlements, mark to market adjustments and realized gains (losses) on standalone derivatives contracts that are in the CMO-B portfolio.
In defining the Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes for our CMO-B portfolio (including CMO-B portfolio income (loss) related to businesses to be exited through reinsurance or divestment) certain recharacterizations are recognized. The net coupon settlement on interest rate swaps hedging CMO-B securities that is included in Net gains (losses) is reflected. In addition, the premium amortization and change in fair value for securities designated under the FVO are included in Net gains (losses), whereas the coupon for these securities is included in Net investment income. In order to present the economics of these fair value securities in a similar manner to those of an available for sale security, the premium amortization is reclassified from Net gains (losses).
After adjusting for the two items referenced immediately above, the following table presents a reconciliation of Income (loss) from operations before income taxes from our CMO-B portfolio to Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes from our CMO-B portfolio for the periods indicated:
| Year Ended December 31, | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | |||||||
| Income (loss) before income taxes | $ | 194 | $ | 52 | $ | (43) | ||||
| Realized gains (losses) including impairment | (5) | 17 | (27) | |||||||
| Fair value adjustments | 22 | 146 | 239 | |||||||
| Total adjustments to income (loss) | 18 | 163 | 212 | |||||||
| Adjusted operating earnings before income taxes | $ | 211 | $ | 215 | $ | 169 |
Structured Securities
Residential Mortgage-backed Securities
The following tables present our residential mortgage-backed securities as of the dates indicated:
| December 31, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | Amortized Cost | Gross Unrealized Capital Gains | Gross Unrealized Capital Losses | Embedded Derivatives | Fair Value | |||||||||||||
| Prime Agency | $ | 1,925 | $ | 20 | $ | 36 | $ | — | $ | 1,909 | ||||||||
| Prime Non-Agency | 1,706 | 12 | 218 | — | 1,500 | |||||||||||||
| Alt-A | 52 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 57 | |||||||||||||
| Sub-Prime(1) | 24 | 1 | 1 | — | 24 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 3,707 | $ | 37 | $ | 256 | $ | 2 | $ | 3,490 | ||||||||
| (1) Includes subprime other asset backed securities. |
| December 31, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | Amortized Cost | Gross Unrealized Capital Gains | Gross Unrealized Capital Losses | Embedded Derivatives | Fair Value | |||||||||||||
| Prime Agency | $ | 1,957 | $ | 19 | $ | 50 | $ | 1 | $ | 1,927 | ||||||||
| Prime Non-Agency | 2,194 | 10 | 238 | — | 1,966 | |||||||||||||
| Alt-A | 66 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 71 | |||||||||||||
| Sub-Prime(1) | 30 | 1 | 1 | — | 30 | |||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 4,247 | $ | 35 | $ | 291 | $ | 3 | $ | 3,994 |
(1) Includes subprime other asset backed securities.
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Commercial Mortgage-backed Securities
The following tables present our commercial mortgage-backed securities as of the dates indicated:
| December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 4 | $ | 4 | $ | 4 | $ | 4 | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | — | $ | 8 | $ | 8 | |||||||||||
| 2022 | 25 | 24 | 118 | 94 | 135 | 126 | 115 | 107 | — | — | 393 | 351 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 107 | 99 | 209 | 144 | 223 | 198 | 312 | 281 | 18 | 15 | 869 | 737 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 41 | 40 | 46 | 36 | 64 | 52 | 152 | 125 | 11 | 8 | 314 | 261 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 14 | 12 | 164 | 144 | 95 | 82 | 272 | 208 | 20 | 14 | 565 | 460 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prior | 85 | 74 | 1,085 | 938 | 353 | 308 | 280 | 228 | 195 | 130 | 1,998 | 1,678 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 272 | $ | 249 | $ | 1,626 | $ | 1,360 | $ | 874 | $ | 770 | $ | 1,131 | $ | 949 | $ | 244 | $ | 167 | $ | 4,147 | $ | 3,495 |
| December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | $ | 105 | $ | 89 | $ | 58 | $ | 53 | $ | 178 | $ | 166 | $ | 115 | $ | 102 | $ | 43 | $ | 43 | $ | 499 | $ | 453 | |||||||||||
| 2021 | 238 | 181 | 86 | 77 | 213 | 187 | 324 | 283 | 8 | 8 | 869 | 736 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | 74 | 66 | 31 | 27 | 74 | 59 | 155 | 125 | — | — | 334 | 277 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | 169 | 149 | 38 | 36 | 130 | 115 | 297 | 241 | 8 | 6 | 642 | 547 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | 110 | 95 | 20 | 18 | 96 | 86 | 40 | 33 | 19 | 15 | 285 | 247 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prior | 835 | 724 | 228 | 214 | 345 | 314 | 320 | 274 | 109 | 97 | 1,837 | 1,623 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | $ | 1,531 | $ | 1,304 | $ | 461 | $ | 425 | $ | 1,036 | $ | 927 | $ | 1,251 | $ | 1,058 | $ | 187 | $ | 169 | $ | 4,466 | $ | 3,883 |
As of December 31, 2023, 82.4% and 13.8% of CMBS investments were designated as NAIC-1 and NAIC-2, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, 83.7% and 13.6% of CMBS investments were designated as NAIC-1 and NAIC-2, respectively.
Other Asset-backed Securities
The following tables present our other asset-backed securities as of the dates indicated:
| December 31, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Collateralized Obligation | $ | 143 | $ | 143 | $ | 523 | $ | 524 | $ | 1,201 | $ | 1,203 | $ | 120 | $ | 119 | $ | 60 | $ | 42 | $ | 2,047 | $ | 2,031 | |||||||||||
| Auto-Loans | 1 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student Loans | 4 | 3 | 73 | 66 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 77 | 69 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Credit Card loans | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Loans | 49 | 41 | 2 | 2 | 151 | 138 | 180 | 166 | 5 | 5 | 387 | 352 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total(1) | $ | 198 | $ | 189 | $ | 598 | $ | 592 | $ | 1,355 | $ | 1,343 | $ | 300 | $ | 285 | $ | 65 | $ | 47 | $ | 2,516 | $ | 2,456 | |||||||||||
| (1) Excludes subprime other asset backed securities. |
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| December 31, 2022 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | AAA | AA | A | BBB | BB and Below | Total | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | Amortized Cost | Fair Value | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Collateralized Obligation | $ | 135 | $ | 131 | $ | 375 | $ | 359 | $ | 1,064 | $ | 1,001 | $ | 121 | $ | 112 | $ | 60 | $ | 42 | $ | 1,755 | $ | 1,645 | |||||||||||
| Auto-Loans | 1 | 1 | 8 | 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 9 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student Loans | 12 | 12 | 86 | 77 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | 99 | 89 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Credit Card loans | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other Loans | 52 | 43 | 3 | 3 | 129 | 114 | 240 | 215 | — | — | 424 | 375 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total(1) | $ | 200 | $ | 187 | $ | 472 | $ | 446 | $ | 1,196 | $ | 1,117 | $ | 362 | $ | 327 | $ | 60 | $ | 42 | $ | 2,290 | $ | 2,119 |
(1) Excludes subprime other asset backed securities.
As of December 31, 2023, 86.7% and 11.6% of Other ABS investments were designated as NAIC-1 and NAIC-2, respectively. As of December 31, 2022, 82.9% and 15.4% of Other ABS investments were designated as NAIC-1 and NAIC-2, respectively.
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate
As of December 31, 2023 and 2022, our mortgage loans on real estate portfolio had a weighted average DSC of 1.94 times and 1.91 times, and a weighted average LTV ratio of 45.0% and 45.4%, respectively. See the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note and Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on mortgage loans on real estate.
Impairments
We evaluate available-for-sale fixed maturities for impairment on a regular basis. The assessment of whether impairments have occurred is based on a case-by-case evaluation of the underlying reasons for the decline in estimated fair value. See the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the policy used to evaluate whether the investments are impaired. Additionally, see the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements of Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information on impairments.
Derivatives
We use derivatives for a variety of hedging purposes. We also have embedded derivatives within fixed maturities instruments and certain product features. See the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note and Derivative Financial Instruments Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further information.
European Exposures
We quantify and allocate our exposure to the region by attempting to identify aspects of the region or country risk to which we are exposed. Among the factors we consider are the nationality of the issuer, the nationality of the issuer's ultimate parent, the corporate and economic relationship between the issuer and its parent, as well as the political, legal and economic environment in which each functions. By undertaking this assessment, we believe that we develop a more accurate assessment of the actual geographic risk, with a more integrated understanding of contributing factors to the full risk profile of the issuer.
In the normal course of our ongoing risk and portfolio management process, we closely monitor compliance with a credit limit hierarchy designed to minimize overly concentrated risk exposures by geography, sector and issuer. This framework takes into account various factors such as internal and external ratings, capital efficiency and liquidity and is overseen by a combination of Investment and Corporate Risk Management, as well as insurance portfolio managers focused specifically on managing the investment risk embedded in our portfolio.
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While economic conditions in Europe have broadly improved, geopolitical tensions emanating from the Russia-Ukraine conflict remain a notable tail risk. Despite signs of economic improvement in the region, we continue to closely monitor our exposure to the region.
As of December 31, 2023, our total European exposure had an amortized cost and fair value of $2,714 million and $2,560 million, respectively. Some of the major country level exposures were in the United Kingdom of $1,117 million, in The Netherlands of $247 million, in France of $249 million, in Germany of $172 million, in Switzerland of $107 million, in Ireland of $133 million, and in Belgium of $58 million. Our direct exposure in Eastern Europe is comparatively small, with $1 million of exposure in Russia and none in Ukraine or Belarus.
Consolidated and Nonconsolidated Investment Entities
We use many forms of entities to achieve our business objectives and we have participated in varying degrees in the design and formation of these entities. These entities are considered to be VIEs or VOEs (collectively, "Consolidated Investment Entities"), or nonconsolidated VIEs, and we evaluate our involvement with each entity to determine whether consolidation is required.
We perform a quarterly consolidation analysis to assess if the consolidation of a fund is required. The consolidation process brings on the assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interest and operations of the VIE and/or VOE into our financial statements.
If the fund no longer meets the criteria for consolidation, the assets, liabilities, noncontrolling interest and operations of the fund is removed from our financial statements. This process of consolidation/deconsolidation could have a material impact on total shareholders’ equity.
See Consolidation and Noncontrolling Interests and Fair Value Measurement in the Business, Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additionally, see the Consolidated and Nonconsolidated Investment Entities Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for more information.
Securitizations
We invest in various tranches of securitization entities, including RMBS, CMBS and ABS. Refer to the Consolidated and Nonconsolidated Investment Entities Note and Fair Value Measurements (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note in our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for an understanding over the Company's Securitizations. Refer to the Investments (excluding Consolidated Investment Entities) Note to our Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8. of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for details regarding the carrying amounts and classifications of these assets.
Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities
Voya Financial, Inc. (the "Parent Issuer") has issued certain notes pursuant to transactions registered under the Securities Act of 1933. As of December 31, 2023, such securities consist of (i) the 5.7% senior notes due 2043, the 3.65% senior notes due 2026, the 4.8% senior notes due 2046, and the 3.976% senior notes due 2025 with an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion (collectively, the "Senior Notes") and (ii) the 4.7% fixed-to-floating rate junior subordinated notes due 2048, with principal amount of $336 million. As of December 31, 2022 such securities consist of (i) the 5.7% senior notes due 2043, the 3.65% senior notes due 2026, the 4.8% senior notes due 2046, with an aggregate principal amount of $1.1 billion and (ii) the 5.65% fixed-to-floating rate junior subordinated notes due 2053 and the 4.7% fixed-to-floating rate junior subordinated notes due 2048, with an aggregate principal amount of $724 million.(collectively, the "Junior Subordinated Notes" and, together with the Senior Notes, the "Registered Notes").
Voya Holdings, Inc. (the "Subsidiary Guarantor"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Parent Issuer, has guaranteed each of the Registered Notes on a full and unconditional basis. No other subsidiary of the Parent Issuer has guaranteed any of the Registered Notes. The Parent Issuer and the Subsidiary Guarantor are hereby referred to below as the "Obligor Group."
The full and unconditional guarantees require the Subsidiary Guarantor to satisfy the obligations of the guaranteed security immediately, if and when the Parent Issuer has failed to make a scheduled payment thereunder. If the Subsidiary Guarantor does not make such payment, any holder of the guaranteed security may immediately bring suit directly against the Subsidiary Guarantor for payment of amounts due and payable.
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Set forth below is summarized financial information of the Obligor Group, as presented on a combined basis. Inter-combination transactions and balances within the Obligor Group have been eliminated. In addition, financial information of any non-issuer or non-guarantor subsidiaries, which would normally be consolidated by either the Parent Issuer or the Subsidiary Guarantor under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, has been excluded from such presentation.
Refer to the Summarized Financial Information of the Obligor Group for the periods indicated:
| As of and for the year ended December 31, | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ($ in millions) | 2023 | 2022 | ||||
| Summarized Statements of Operations Information: | ||||||
| Total revenues | $ | 133 | $ | (21) | ||
| Total benefits and expenses | 216 | 205 | ||||
| Income (loss), net of tax | (59) | 346 | ||||
| Net income (loss) before equity in earnings (losses) of unconsolidated affiliates | (59) | 346 | ||||
| Net income (loss) available to Obligor Group | (59) | 346 | ||||
| Summarized Balance Sheets Information: | ||||||
| Total investments | 32 | 29 | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | 207 | 210 | ||||
| Deferred income tax assets | 875 | 910 | ||||
| Goodwill | 94 | 94 | ||||
| Loans to non-obligated subsidiaries | 227 | 89 | ||||
| Due from non-obligated subsidiaries | 8 | 15 | ||||
| Total assets | 1,466 | 1,359 | ||||
| Short-term debt with non-obligated subsidiaries | 445 | 262 | ||||
| Long-term debt | 2,097 | 2,094 | ||||
| Total liabilities | $ | 2,747 | $ | 2,554 |
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