| l) | Insurance contracts and private pension |
IFRS 4 – “Insurance contracts” defines insurance contracts as contracts under which the issuer accepts a significant insurance risk of the counterparty, by agreeing to compensate it if a specified uncertain future event adversely affects it. An insurance risk is significant only if the insurance event could cause an issuer to pay significant additional benefits in any scenario, except for those that do not have commercial substance. Additional benefits refer to amounts that exceed those that would be payable if no insured event occurred.
At the time of the first-time adoption of IFRS, ITAÚ UNIBANCO HOLDING decided not to change its accounting policies for insurance contracts, which follow the accounting practices generally accepted in Brazil (“BRGAAP”).
Although investment agreements with discretionary participation characteristics are financial instruments, they are treated as insurance contracts, as established by IFRS 4, as well as those transferring a significant financial risk.
These agreements may be reclassified as insurance contracts after their initial classification should the insurance risk become significant.
Once the contract is classified as an insurance contract, it remains as such until the end of its life, even if the insurance risk is significantly reduced during such period, unless all rights and obligations are extinguished or expired.
Note 30 presents a detailed description of all products classified as insurance contracts.
Private pension plans
Contracts that contemplate retirement benefits after an accumulation period (known as PGBL, VGBL and FGB) assure, at the commencement date of the contract, the basis for calculating the retirement benefit (mortality table and minimum interest). The contracts specify the annuity fees and, therefore, the contract transfers the insurance risk to the issuer at the commencement date, and they are classified as insurance contracts.
Insurance premiums
Insurance premiums are recognized by issuing an insurance policy or over the period of the contracts in proportion to the amount of the insurance coverage. Insurance premiums are recognized as income in the Consolidated statement of income.
If there is evidence of impairment losses with respect to receivables for insurance premiums, ITAÚ UNIBANCO HOLDING recognizes a provision, sufficient to cover this loss, based on the risk analysis of realization of insurance premiums receivable with installments overdue for over 60 days.
Reinsurance
Reinsurance premiums are recognized over the same period in which the related insurance premiums are recognized in the consolidated statement of income.
In the ordinary course of business, ITAÚ UNIBANCO HOLDING reinsures a portion of the risks underwritten, particularly property and casualty risks that exceed the maximum limits of responsibility that we determine to be appropriate for each segment and product (after a study which considers size, experience, specificities, and the necessary capital to support these limits). These reinsurance agreements allow the recovery of a portion of the losses from the reinsurer, although they do not release the insurer from the main obligation as direct insurer of the risks contemplated in the reinsurance.
Acquisition costs
Acquisition costs include direct and indirect costs related to the origination of insurance. These costs, except for the commissions paid to brokers and others, are expensed directly in income as incurred. Commissions, on the other hand, are deferred and expensed in proportion to the recognition of the premium revenue, i.e. over the period of the corresponding insurance contract.
Liabilities
Reserves for claims are established based on historical experience, claims in process of payment, estimated amounts of claims incurred but not yet reported, and other factors relevant to the required reserve levels. A liability for premium deficiencies is recognized if the estimated amount of premium deficiencies exceeds deferred acquisition costs. Expenses related to recognition of liabilities for insurance contracts are recognized in the Consolidated statement of income under Change in reserves for insurance and private pension.
Embedded derivatives
We have not identified any embedded derivatives in our insurance contracts, which may be separated or measured at fair value in accordance with IFRS 4 requirements.
Liability adequacy test
IFRS 4 requires that the insurance companies analyze the adequacy of their insurance liabilities in each reporting period through a minimum adequacy test. ITAÚ UNIBANCO HOLDING conducts the liability adequacy test under IFRS by adopting current actuarial assumptions for future cash flows of all insurance contracts in force at the balance sheet date.
Should the analysis show insufficiency, any deficiency identified will be immediately accounted for in income for the period.
The assumptions used to conduct the liability adequacy test are detailed in Note 30f.