Allstate (ALL)

Reserves for property-liability insurance claims and claims expense and life-contingent contract benefits

       The reserve for property-liability insurance claims and claims expense is the estimate of amounts necessary to settle all reported and unreported claims for the ultimate cost of insured property-liability losses, based upon the facts of each case and the Company's experience with similar cases. Estimated amounts of salvage and subrogation are deducted from the reserve for claims and claims expense. The establishment of appropriate reserves, including reserves for catastrophes, is an inherently uncertain and complex process. Reserve estimates are regularly reviewed and updated, using the most current information available. Any resulting reestimates are reflected in current results of operations (see Note 7).

       The reserve for life-contingent contract benefits payable under insurance policies, including traditional life insurance, life-contingent immediate annuities and voluntary health products, is computed on the basis of long-term actuarial assumptions of future investment yields, mortality, morbidity, policy terminations and expenses (see Note 8). These assumptions, which for traditional life insurance are applied using the net level premium method, include provisions for adverse deviation and generally vary by characteristics such as type of coverage, year of issue and policy duration. To the extent that unrealized gains on fixed income securities would result in a premium deficiency had those gains actually been realized, the related increase in reserves for certain immediate annuities with life contingencies is recorded net of tax as a reduction of unrealized net capital gains included in accumulated other comprehensive income.

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