Notes to the supplementary financial statements – European Embedded Value Basis (continued)
2008 2008 2008 2007 2007 2007 Restated Restated Restated
£m £m £m £m £m £m
Risk
– Risk reported on an EEV basis 3,138 – 3,138 1,914 – 1,914 – General insurance – 99 99 – 114 114
– Other – 2 2 – (1) (1)
Total Risk 3,138 101 3,239 1,914 113 2,027
Savings
– Savings reported on an EEV basis 1,130 – 1,130 1,546 – 1,546 – Core retail investments – 59 59 – 39 39 – Other – 14 14 – 14 14 Total Savings 1,130 73 1,203 1,546 53 1,599 Investment management – 322 322 – 310 310 International – USA 937 – 937 645 – 645 – Netherlands 305 – 305 275 – 275 – France 221 – 221 186 – 186 – Emerging markets – 12 12 – 3 3 Total International 1,463 12 1,475 1,106 3 1,109
Group capital and financing 1,878 (1,596) 282 3,837 (754) 3,083
7,609 (1,088) 6,521 8,403 (275) 8,128 2008 2007 Restated £m £m Movement As at 1 January 8,128 7,650
Total recognised income and expense (710) 1,170
Issue of share capital 10 4
Share buyback (523) (320)
Net movements in employee scheme shares (4) 1 Dividend distributions to equity holders of the Company during the year (367) (369) Other reserve movements including pension deficit (13) (8)
As at 31 December 6,521 8,128
17 Reconciliation of shareholder net worth (SNW)
UK covered UK covered
business Total business Total
2008 2008 2007 2007 Restated Restated
£m £m £m £m
SNW of long term operations (IFRS basis) 3,415 4,676 4,836 5,721 Other liabilities (IFRS basis) – (1,088) – (275)
Shareholders’ equity on the IFRS basis 3,415 3,588 4,836 5,446 Purchased interests in long term business (171) (202) (5) (19) Deferred acquisition costs/deferred income liabilities (233) (1,160) (139) (751) Contingent loan1 (786) (786) (614) (614)
Deferred tax2 (354) (51) (363) (172)
Other3 7 (195) 122 (4)
Shareholder net worth on the EEV basis 1,878 1,194 3,837 3,886
1. On an EEV basis the contingent loan (between Society and LGPL) is modelled within the VIF. On an IFRS basis the contingent loan asset is included within the Group capital and financing net assets.
2. Deferred tax represents all tax which is expected to be paid under current legislation.
3. Other in the UK covered business relates primarily to the different treatment of sterling reserves, other long term reserves and the non profit result of LGPL under EEV compared with IFRS. Total business also includes the different treatment of the US Triple X securitisation on an EEV and IFRS basis.
18 Sensitivities
In accordance with the guidance issued by the CFO Forum in October 2005 the table below shows the effect of alternative assumptions on the long term embedded value and new business contribution.
Effect on embedded value as at 31 December 2008
1% lower 1% higher 1% higher risk risk 1% lower 1% higher equity/ As discount discount interest interest property published rate rate rate rate yields £m £m £m £m £m £m
UK 6,146 384 (336) (73) 5 110
International 1,463 126 (109) 17 (23) 3 Total covered business 7,609 510 (445) (56) (18) 113
5%
10% lower 10% 10% 5% lower equity/ lower lower lower mortality As property maintenance lapse mortality (other published values expenses rates (UK annuities) business)
£m £m £m £m £m £m
UK 6,146 (248) 68 66 (111) 40
International 1,463 (6) 12 59 n/a 95 Total covered business 7,609 (254) 80 125 (111) 135
Notes to the supplementary financial statements –
European Embedded Value Basis (continued)
Su p p le m e n ta ry F in a n c ia l S ta te m e n ts
Effect on new business contribution for the year
1% lower 1% higher 1% higher risk risk 1% lower 1% higher equity/ As discount discount interest interest property published rate rate rate rate yields £m £m £m £m £m £m
UK 265 82 (72) (7) (13) 14
International 32 17 (15) 2 (1) – Total covered business 297 99 (87) (5) (14) 14
5%
10% lower 10% 10% 5% lower equity/ lower lower lower mortality As property maintenance lapse mortality (other published values expenses rates (UK annuities) business)
£m £m £m £m £m £m
UK 265 (32) 13 16 (20) 7
International 32 – 1 7 n/a 12 Total covered business 297 (32) 14 23 (20) 19
Opposite sensitivities are broadly symmetrical.
19 Capital review
Conversion of Legal & General Pensions Limited (LGPL) to an Insurance Special Purpose Vehicle (ISPV)
On 1 November 2007, LGPL was converted to an ISPV and repaid subordinated debt of £400m to Legal & General Assurance Society (Society).
Society’s long term fund restructure
In December 2007, the Group implemented a new capital structure for Society.
A key component was the removal of the transfer formula which limited the annual amounts of distribution from Society’s long term fund since 1996. As part of the restructure, it was also announced that the 1996 Sub-fund (£321m) was merged into the Shareholder Retained Capital (SRC). Society’s Board of Directors undertook to initially maintain £500m of assets within Society to support the with- profits business. The amount of the commitment will reduce to £450m in 2009 and then gradually reduce to zero over a period not exceeding nine years.
In 2007 £1.7bn was transferred from the SRC into the shareholder capital held outside Society’s long term fund.
Financial impacts of ISPV conversion and Society’s long term fund restructure
The effects of the changes on the 2007 EEV results were:
Long Tax ISPV term fund impact of
conversion1 restructure2,3 restructure4 Total
£m £m £m £m
Profit from continuing operations before tax 156 5 – 161
Embedded value 112 4 206 322
1. The conversion of LGPL to an ISPV resulted in an increase in embedded value of £112m and an increase in profit before tax of £156m. This reflects the removal of the requirement to hold a solvency margin in the ISPV and the consequent reduction in the modelled cost of solvency capital.
2. In Society, the SRC and 1996 Sub-fund have either been required to cover the EU solvency margin or regarded as encumbered due to the restrictions over distribution. Following the restructure, these assets are no longer encumbered and are valued at market value less the anticipated tax charge. The Group has previously modelled EEV operating profit assuming the SRC is released into surplus over a period of 20 years. It is assumed that the remainder of the SRC is distributed over two years with the exception of the contingent loan balance with LGPL which is assumed to be distributed as it is repaid.
3. To take account of the more flexible nature of the capital in Society, the assets modelled to cover the required capital now reflect the average investment mix of the total Society Shareholder Capital which, as a result, includes a higher proportion of fixed interest investments.
4. The transfer from the SRC into the Society Shareholder Capital at the end of 2007 did not give rise to any incremental tax. The tax impact on future distributions of SRC assets has been modelled using marginal tax rates of between 10% and 12%.
The combined impact for the four factors above on both contribution from new business after cost of capital and operating profit was an increase of £12m.
20 Assumptions
UK Assumptions
The assumed future pre-tax returns on fixed interest and RPI linked securities are set by reference to redemption yields available in the market at the end of the reporting period.
For annuities, separate returns are calculated for new and existing business. This reflects a change in investment policy applicable to the 2007 and later business, which has the aim of increasing the expected return whilst not increasing the level of asset risk compared with the historic policy. This has been achieved through improved investment efficiency and increased diversification through use of additional asset classes. The calculated return takes account of derivatives and other credit instruments in the investment portfolio. From the second half of 2007, some aspects of this revised strategy were also applied to the assets backing the in-force annuity business.
Where interest rate swaps are used to reduce risk, it is assumed that these swaps will be sold before expiry and the proceeds reinvested in corporate bonds with a redemption yield 0.70% p.a. (0.50% p.a. at 31.12.2007) greater than the swap rate at that time. The returns on fixed and index-linked securities are calculated net of an allowance for default risk which takes account of the outstanding term of the securities. The allowances for default risk are set separately for the asset portfolios supporting fixed and index-linked securities, and average 0.11% p.a. and 0.12% p.a. respectively across the portfolios as a whole (0.11% p.a. and 0.10% p.a. at 31.12.2007). In 2008 Legal & General Pensions Limited has reserved an additional £313m before discounting to allow for our best estimate of the credit defaults over the next four years.
Economic assumptions
31.12.08 31.12.07
% p.a. % p.a.
Equity risk premium 3.5 3.0 Property risk premium 2.0 2.0 Investment return – Gilts: – Fixed interest 3.8 4.5 – RPI linked 3.7 4.5 – Non gilts: – Fixed interest 4.2 – 8.2 4.9 – 6.1 – RPI linked 4.7 – 5.9 4.9 – 5.3 – Equities 7.3 7.5 – Property 5.8 6.5 Risk margin 4.5 3.0 Risk discount rate (net of tax) 8.3 7.5 Inflation
– Expenses/earnings 3.6 4.4 – Indexation 2.6 3.4
UK covered business
i. Assets are valued at market value.
ii. Future bonus rates have been set at levels which would fully utilise the assets supporting the policyholders’ portion of the with-profits business. The proportion of profits derived from with-profits business allocated to shareholders has been assumed to be 10% throughout.
iii. The value of in-force business reflects the cost, including administration expenses, of providing for benefit
enhancement or compensation in relation to certain products. iv. Other actuarial assumptions have been set at levels
commensurate with recent operating experience, including those for mortality, morbidity, persistency and maintenance expenses (excluding the development costs referred to below). These are normally reviewed annually.
An allowance is made for future improvements in annuitant mortality based on experience and externally published data. Male annuitant mortality is assumed to improve in accordance with CMI Working Paper 30, projection MC, with a minimum annual improvement of 1.5% for future experience, and 2.0% for statutory reserving. Female annuitant mortality is assumed to improve in accordance with 75% of projection MC, with a minimum annual improvement of 1.0% for future experience and 1.5% for statutory reserving. In each case, the annual improvement is assumed to reduce linearly after age 89 to zero at age 120.
On this basis, the best estimate of the expectation of life for a new 65 year old Male CPA annuitant is 25.2 years (31.12.07: 25.1 years). The expectation of life on the regulatory reserving basis is 26.4 years (31.12.07: 26.2 years).
v. Development costs relate to investment in strategic systems and development capability.
International
vi. Key assumptions:
31.12.08 31.12.07
% p.a. % p.a.
USA
Reinvestment rate 5.4 5.4 Risk margin 4.5 3.0 Risk discount rate (net of tax) 6.8 7.1 Europe
Government bond return 3.5 4.4 Risk margin 4.5 3.0 Risk discount rate (net of tax) 8.0 7.4 vii. Other actuarial assumptions have been set at levels
commensurate with recent operating experience, including those for mortality, morbidity, persistency and maintenance expenses.
Tax
viii. The profits on the covered business, except for the profits on the Society Shareholder Capital held outside the long term fund, are calculated on an after tax basis and are grossed up by the notional attributed tax rate for presentation in the income statement. The tax rate used for grossing up is the corporate tax rate in the territory concerned which for the UK was 28% (2007: 28%). The profits on the Society Shareholder Capital held outside the long term fund are calculated before tax and therefore tax is calculated on an actual basis.
Notes to the supplementary financial statements –
European Embedded Value Basis (continued)
C o m p a ny F in a n c ia l S ta te m e n ts Su p p le m e n ta ry F in a n c ia l S ta te m e n ts
Independent Auditors’ Report
To the Directors of Legal & General Group Plc on the Supplementary Financial Statements
We have audited the supplementary financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 which comprise the Consolidated Income Statement – European Embedded Value basis, the Consolidated Balance Sheet – European Embedded Value basis and the Consolidated Statement of Recognised Income and Expense – European Embedded Value basis and the related notes (‘the supplementary financial statements’) which have been prepared in accordance with the European Embedded Value (‘EEV’) basis set out in the Basis of preparation which should be read in conjunction with the Group’s financial statements.
Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors
The directors are responsible for preparing the supplementary financial statements on the EEV basis in accordance with the EEV basis set out in the Basis of preparation. Our responsibilities, as independent auditors, in relation to the supplementary financial statements are, as set out in our letter of engagement dated 17 March 2009, to report to you our opinion as to whether the supplementary financial statements have been properly prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the EEV basis. We also report to you if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit of the supplementary financial statements. This report, including the opinion, has been prepared for and only for the Company’s directors as a body in accordance with our letter of engagement dated 17 March 2009, and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving this opinion, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or in to whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.
Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. Our audit included examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the supplementary financial statements. This evidence included an assessment of the significant estimates and judgements made by the directors in the preparation of the supplementary financial statements, and of whether the Basis of preparation is appropriate to the Legal & General Group’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.
We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the supplementary financial statements are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion, we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the supplementary financial statements.
Opinion
In our opinion, the supplementary financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 have been properly prepared in all material respects in accordance with the EEV basis set out in the Basis of preparation.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants London
24 March 2009
Notes:
(a) The supplementary financial statements are published on the website of Legal & General Group Plc, www.legalandgeneralgroup.com. The maintenance and integrity of the Legal & General Group Plc website is the responsibility of the directors; the audit work does not involve consideration of these matters and, accordingly, we accept no responsibility for any changes that may have occurred to the supplementary financial statements since they were initially presented on the website. (b) Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of supplementary financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.
Independent Auditors’ Report
To the Members of Legal & General Group Plc
We have audited the parent company financial statements of Legal & General Group Plc for the year ended 31 December 2008 which comprise the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Total Recognised Gains and Losses, the Reconciliation of Movement in Total Equity and the related notes. These parent company financial statements have been prepared under the accounting policies set out therein. We have also audited the information in the Directors’ Remuneration Report that is described as having been audited.
We have reported separately on the Group financial statements of Legal & General Group Plc for the year ended 31 December 2008.
Respective responsibilities of directors and auditors
The directors’ responsibilities for preparing the Annual Report, the Directors’ Remuneration Report and the parent company financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice) are set out in the Statement of Directors’ Responsibilities.
Our responsibility is to audit the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited in accordance with relevant legal and regulatory requirements and International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland). This report, including the opinion, has been prepared for and only for the Company’s members as a body in accordance with Section 235 of the Companies Act 1985 and for no other purpose. We do not, in giving this opinion, accept or assume responsibility for any other purpose or to any other person to whom this report is shown or into whose hands it may come save where expressly agreed by our prior consent in writing.
We report to you our opinion as to whether the parent company financial statements give a true and fair view and whether the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985. We also report to you whether in our opinion the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with the parent company financial statements. The information given in the Directors’ Report includes that specific information presented in the Governance Section that is cross-referred from the Directors’ Report.
In addition we report to you if, in our opinion, the Company has not kept proper accounting records, if we have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit, or if information specified by law regarding directors’ remuneration and other transactions is not disclosed.
We read other information contained in the Annual Report and consider whether it is consistent with the audited parent company financial statements. The other information comprises only the Directors’ Report. We consider the implications for our report if we become aware of any apparent misstatements or material inconsistencies with the parent financial statements. Our responsibilities do not extend to any other information.
Basis of audit opinion
We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK and Ireland) issued by the Auditing Practices Board. An audit includes examination, on a test basis, of evidence relevant to the amounts and disclosures in the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited. It also includes an assessment of the significant estimates and judgments made by the directors in the preparation of the parent company financial statements, and of whether the accounting policies are appropriate to the Company’s circumstances, consistently applied and adequately disclosed.
We planned and performed our audit so as to obtain all the information and explanations which we considered necessary in order to provide us with sufficient evidence to give reasonable assurance that the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited are free from material misstatement, whether caused by fraud or other irregularity or error. In forming our opinion we also evaluated the overall adequacy of the presentation of information in the parent company financial statements and the part of the Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited.
Opinion
In our opinion:
the parent company financial statements give a true and fair
•
view, in accordance with United Kingdom Generally
Accepted Accounting Practice, of the state of the company’s affairs as at 31 December 2008;
the parent company financial statements and the part of the
•
Directors’ Remuneration Report to be audited have been properly prepared in accordance with the Companies Act 1985; and
the information given in the Directors’ Report is consistent with
•
the parent company financial statements.
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
Chartered Accountants and Registered Auditors London
24 March 2009
Notes:
(a) The financial statements are published on the website of Legal & General Group Plc, www.legalandgeneralgroup.com. The maintenance and