Item 2.02. Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
The preliminary financial information in the section Preliminary Estimated Impact of the Reinsurance
Transaction Restatement in Item 7.01 of this Current Report
on Form 8-K is incorporated
by reference into this Item 2.02.
Company Confirms 2023
Outlook
The restatement and other matters discussed in Item 4.02 of this
Current Report on Form 8-K
do not affect our previously communicated 2023 outlook.
Item 4.02. Non-Reliance on Previously Issued
Financial Statements or a Related Audit Report or Completed Interim
Review.
As previously disclosed, The Lincoln National Life Insurance
Company (“LNL”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Lincoln National
Corporation (the “Company”), entered into a reinsurance agreement
with Security Life of Denver Insurance Company (a subsidiary of
Resolution Life that we refer to herein as “Resolution Life”) that
was effective as of October 1, 2021 to reinsure liabilities
under a block of in-force
executive benefit and universal life insurance policies. The
transaction was structured as coinsurance for the general account
reserves and modified coinsurance for the separate account
reserves. For the coinsurance portion of the transaction, the
Company transferred both the insurance reserves and a portfolio of
assets to Resolution Life, which triggered a realized gain on the
invested assets for the Company.
As a result of the transaction, the Company recorded a deferred
gain on the invested assets transferred pursuant to the
transaction, recognizable over the projected life of the reinsured
policies. The Company has determined that the realized gain should
have been recognized at the time of the transfer of the assets and
will correct the accounting treatment for the Resolution Life
transaction to reflect a one-time gain related to the transfer
of assets rather than a deferred gain. The accounting for the
Company’s other reinsurance transactions is not affected by the
correction of the accounting for the Resolution Life transaction
and there is no change to the Company’s previously reported capital
generated from the transaction.
Revised for the correction of the accounting treatment for the
fourth quarter of 2021 and full year 2022, the Company’s financial
results would have included a one-time gain of approximately
$498 million in net income for the quarter ended
December 31, 2021, rather than amortizing approximately
$25 million and $6 million of the gain that was reflected
in net income during the year ended December 31, 2022 and the
quarter ended December 31, 2021, respectively. As of
year-end December 31,
2022 and December 31, 2021, the Company’s stockholders’ equity
will increase by approximately $467 million and approximately
$492 million, respectively, and the Company’s leverage ratio
as of year-end
December 31, 2022 will improve by approximately 80 basis
points as a result of the correction of the accounting
treatment.
As a result, on March 21, 2023, the Board of Directors of the
Company, after discussion with the Audit Committee, our senior
leadership and independent registered public accounting firm,
Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”), determined that our audited
consolidated financial statements as of and for the annual periods
ended December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2022 and for the
quarterly periods ended March 31, June 30 and
September 30, 2022 (together, the “Prior Financial
Statements”) included in the associated Form 10-K filings and Form 10-Q filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission (“SEC”), should no longer be relied upon solely
as a result of the above-described accounting treatment with
respect to timing for the recognition of investment gains related
to the reinsurance transaction with Resolution Life and will
require restatement, and EY concurred. In addition, any previously
issued or filed earnings releases, investor presentations or other
communication describing the Company’s Prior Financial Statements
will be similarly impacted by the restatement.
The restatement of the Prior Financial Statements will not impact
the Company’s distributable earnings, free cash flow, LNL’s
statutory filings, or year-end risk-based capital ratio. The
restatement does not affect our previously communicated 2023
outlook.