Valuation

SST balance sheet

The SST balance sheet is prepared based on the same market-consistent valuation principles as Swiss Re’s internal EVM framework. EVM is therefore used as a basis for preparing the SST balance sheet and valuation adjustments to EVM mainly affect capital costs and deferred taxes. The difference between assets and liabilities is defined as the SST net asset value, which is the basis for the calculation of the SST RBC.

The SST valuation methodology is further described in the Appendix of this Report.

As the Company was created in 2016, it received an exemption from FINMA from filing a Financial Condition Report in 2017. There is therefore no comparison to prior year SST balance sheet in this Report.

Download

USD millions

Notes

SST 2017

SST 2018

Change

Real estate

 

 

 

 

Investments in subsidiaries and affiliated companies

 

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

 

 

229

 

Loans

 

 

7 243

 

Mortgages

 

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

 

 

 

Other investments:

 

 

 

 

Shares in investment funds

 

 

 

 

Alternative investments

 

 

 

 

Other investments

 

 

37

 

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

 

 

 

Derivative financial instruments assets

 

 

 

 

Total market value of investments

 

 

7 509

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

35

 

Funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance

 

 

7 314

 

Other receivables

 

 

230

 

Other assets

 

 

 

 

Total other assets

 

 

7 579

 

Total assets

 

 

15 088

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best estimate value of insurance liabilities before retrocessions:

 

 

 

 

Direct insurance:

 

 

 

 

Life insurance (excluding unit-linked business)

 

 

 

 

Non-life insurance

 

 

 

 

Health insurance

 

 

 

 

Unit-linked life insurance

 

 

 

 

Other business

 

 

 

 

Active reinsurance:

 

 

 

 

Life insurance (excluding unit-linked business)

 

 

8 279

 

Non-life insurance

 

 

 

 

Health insurance

 

 

 

 

Unit-linked life insurance

 

 

 

 

Other business

 

 

 

 

Total best estimate value of insurance liabilities before retrocessions

 

 

8 279

 

Retrocessions:

 

 

 

 

Direct insurance:

 

 

 

 

Life insurance (excluding unit-linked business)

 

 

 

 

Non-life insurance

 

 

 

 

Health insurance

 

 

 

 

Unit-linked life insurance

 

 

 

 

Other business

 

 

 

 

Active reinsurance:

 

 

 

 

Life insurance (excluding unit-linked business)

 

 

976

 

Non-life insurance

 

 

 

 

Health insurance

 

 

 

 

Unit-linked life insurance

 

 

 

 

Other business

 

 

 

 

Total retrocessions

 

 

976

 

Non-technical provisions

 

 

2

 

Debt

 

 

 

 

Derivative financial instruments liabilities

 

 

 

 

Funds held under reinsurance treaties

 

 

3 294

 

Reinsurance balances payable

 

 

1 383

 

Other liabilities

 

 

 

 

Total other liabilities

 

 

4 679

 

Total liabilities

 

 

13 934

 

 

 

 

 

 

SST net asset value

 

 

1 154

 

Notes

None.

SST balance sheet comparison with Swiss statutory

The SST balance sheet comparison with the audited financial statements provides insights on the main valuation and scope differences.

An overview of the main valuation and scope differences and the definition of the aggregated line items is included in the Appendix of this Report.

Assets

Download

USD millions

Swiss statutory

SST

Difference

Real estate

 

 

 

Investments in subsidiaries and affiliated companies

 

 

 

Fixed income securities

228

229

1

Loans

 

7 243

7 243

Mortgages

 

 

 

Equity securities

 

 

 

Other investments

70

37

–33

Investments for unit-linked and with-profit business

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

1

35

34

Funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance

9 789

7 314

–2 475

Other assets

1 681

230

–1 451

Total assets

11 769

15 088

3 319

Fixed income securities

Differences in valuation: SST carries fixed income securities at market value. In statutory reporting, fixed income securities are valued at their amortised cost or lower market values.

Loans

Differences in scope: In SST, reinsurance contracts on a funds withheld basis for corporate-owned life insurance are reported as policy loans (look-through approach). In statutory reporting, those assets are part of the funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance.

Differences in valuation: In SST, policy loans and intra-group loans are valued by discounting future estimated cash flows at risk-free rates, while under statutory reporting those loans are carried at nominal value. Value adjustments are recorded where the expected recovery value is lower than the nominal value.

Other investments

Differences in scope: In SST, short-term investments are defined on the basis of the remaining duration at time of purchase. Statutory reporting classifies short-term investments between cash and cash equivalents and other investments on the basis of initial duration.

Cash and cash equivalents

Differences in scope: Please see above difference in scope for Other investments.

Funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance

Differences in scope: In SST, pipeline premiums are included in re/insurance liabilities, whereas for statutory reporting, they are disclosed in funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance. In SST, reinsurance contracts on a funds withheld basis for corporate-owned life insurance are reported as policy loans (look-through approach). In statutory reporting, those assets are part of the funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance.

Differences in valuation: In SST, funds held by ceding companies for which a fixed interest is credited are valued by discounting future estimated cash flows at risk-free rates. Under statutory reporting, funds held by ceding companies are generally measured at the consideration received or at market value of the underlying assets.

Other assets

Differences in scope: In SST, reinsurance recoverables are part of re/insurance liabilities, whereas in statutory reporting, they are disclosed in other assets.

Differences in valuation: In SST, other assets are measured at fair value. In statutory reporting, other assets are generally carried at nominal value.

Liabilities

Download

USD millions

Swiss statutory

SST

Difference

Re/insurance liabilities

7 802

9 255

1 453

Unit-linked and with-profit liabilities

 

 

 

Debt

 

 

 

Funds held under reinsurance treaties

2 859

3 294

435

Other liabilities

924

1 385

461

Total liabilities

11 585

13 934

2 349

Re/insurance liabilities

Differences in scope: In SST, reinsurance recoverables, deferred acquisition costs and pipeline premiums are shown in re/insurance liabilities. In statutory reporting, reinsurance recoverables and deferred acquisition costs are disclosed within other assets, while pipeline premiums are part of the funds held by ceding companies and other receivables from reinsurance.

Differences in valuation: SST uses best estimates to value the reinsurance liabilities without specific margin for prudence. Statutory reporting values reinsurance liabilities at best estimates and requires provisions for adverse deviations (PADs). Other valuation differences arise from the discounting of the liability cash flows. In SST all liabilities are generally discounted using current risk-free rates. Under statutory reporting, technical provisions are generally discounted at the yields of the backing assets for life and health.

Funds held under reinsurance treaties

Differences in valuation: In SST, the valuation is based on best estimates of the underlying cash flows. Under statutory reporting, funds held under reinsurance treaties are carried at consideration received or market value of the underlying assets.

Other liabilities

Differences in scope: In SST, pipeline claims are included in re/insurance liabilities. Under statutory reporting, pipeline claims are part of other liabilities.

Differences in valuation: In SST, no specific provision is made for currency fluctuations. In statutory reporting, a provision for currency fluctuation comprises the net effect of foreign exchange gains and losses arising from the revaluation of the opening balance sheet and the translation adjustment of the income statement from average to closing exchange rates at year-end.