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Arguments For Long Term Contracts

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Long-term contracts, such as life insurance, are very complex and have worked effectively for a long time. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), however, have proposed a draft that would significantly change long-term contracts in an attempt to improve their efficiency. Many argue for the draft to be passed due to its potential to optimize and improve the efficiency of long-term contracts. However, others also make a strong argument that if the long-term contracts work and currently serve their purpose, why change it? This may not seem like such a big deal because it is not like everyone is clamoring to discuss this draft or even cares enough to be informed about it. Truth be told, everyone should be more concerned about these …show more content…

These four areas are the key points of every long-term contract that it is written up. Long-term contracts now have the potential to improve in various ways thanks to these. Liability assumptions are the key points that the draft aims to improve the efficiency of. Changes would cause an analytical view when changing cash flow and using an urgent viewpoint when making more renovations (Towery). The updates in the draft would help in the long term cash flow of these contracts. Another main point of emphasis the draft focuses on are the discount rates of long-term contracts. Discount rates have always been a set earn rate and not based individually at all. This new draft has proposed to change these rates to be based individually which would improve their accuracy. “The Board believes that the proper rate for discounting the liability would be a market-based interest rate rather than one linked to an entity’s investment experience” (“FASB Proposes Targeted Improvements”). Basing these rates on the market and the individual contracts instead could vastly change the way rates of long-term contracts work. The last main points of the draft are the disclosures and the participating contracts. “Proposed amendments would require a disaggregated rollforward of future policy

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