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2007 Annual Report - AIG.com

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American International Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries<br />

For certain structured securities, the carrying value is based<br />

on an estimate of the security’s future cash flows pursuant to the<br />

requirements of Emerging Issues Task Force Issue No. 99-20,<br />

‘‘Recognition of Interest In<strong>com</strong>e and Impairment on Purchased<br />

and Retained Beneficial Interests in Securitized Financial Assets.’’<br />

Hedge funds and limited partnerships in which <strong>AIG</strong> holds in the<br />

aggregate less than a five percent interest are carried at fair<br />

value.<br />

With respect to hedge funds and limited partnerships in which<br />

<strong>AIG</strong> holds in the aggregate a five percent or greater interest, or<br />

less than a five percent interest but where <strong>AIG</strong> has more than a<br />

minor influence over the operations of the investee, <strong>AIG</strong> accounts<br />

for these investments using the equity method.<br />

<strong>AIG</strong> obtains the fair value of its investments in limited<br />

partnerships and hedge funds from information provided by the<br />

general partner or manager of these investments, the accounts of<br />

which generally are audited on an annual basis.<br />

Each of these investment categories is regularly tested to<br />

determine if impairment in value exists. Various valuation techniques<br />

are used with respect to each category in this<br />

determination.<br />

For a discussion of accounting policies related to changes in<br />

fair value of invested assets, see Note 1 to Consolidated<br />

Financial Statements.<br />

Portfolio Review<br />

Other-Than-Temporary Impairments<br />

<strong>AIG</strong> assesses its ability to hold any fixed maturity security in an<br />

unrealized loss position to its recovery, including fixed maturity<br />

securities classified as available for sale, at each balance sheet<br />

date. The decision to sell any such fixed maturity security<br />

classified as available for sale reflects the judgment of <strong>AIG</strong>’s<br />

management that the security sold is unlikely to provide, on a<br />

relative value basis, as attractive a return in the future as<br />

alternative securities entailing <strong>com</strong>parable risks. With respect to<br />

distressed securities, the sale decision reflects management’s<br />

judgment that the risk-discounted anticipated ultimate recovery is<br />

less than the value achievable on sale.<br />

<strong>AIG</strong> evaluates its investments for impairments in valuation. The<br />

determination that a security has incurred an other-than-temporary<br />

impairment in value and the amount of any loss recognition<br />

requires the judgment of <strong>AIG</strong>’s management and a regular review<br />

of its investments. See Note 1(c) to Consolidated Financial<br />

Statements for further information on <strong>AIG</strong>’s policy.<br />

Once a security has been identified as other-than-temporarily<br />

impaired, the amount of such impairment is determined by<br />

reference to that security’s contemporaneous fair value and<br />

recorded as a charge to earnings.<br />

In light of the recent significant disruption in the<br />

U.S. residential mortgage and credit markets, particularly in the<br />

fourth quarter, <strong>AIG</strong> has recognized an other-than-temporary impairment<br />

charge (severity loss) of $2.2 billion (including $643 million<br />

related to <strong>AIG</strong>FP’s available for sale investment securities re-<br />

corded in other in<strong>com</strong>e), primarily with respect to certain residen-<br />

tial mortgage-backed securities and other structured securities.<br />

Even while retaining their investment grade ratings, such securi-<br />

ties were priced at a significant discount to cost. Notwithstanding<br />

<strong>AIG</strong>’s intent and ability to hold such securities indefinitely, and<br />

despite structures which indicate that a substantial amount of the<br />

securities should continue to perform in accordance with original<br />

terms, <strong>AIG</strong> concluded that it could not reasonably assert that the<br />

recovery period would be temporary.<br />

As a result of <strong>AIG</strong>’s periodic evaluation of its securities for<br />

other-than-temporary impairments in value, <strong>AIG</strong> recorded otherthan-temporary<br />

impairment charges of $4.7 billion (including $643<br />

million related to <strong>AIG</strong>FP recorded on other in<strong>com</strong>e), $944 million<br />

and $598 million in <strong>2007</strong>, 2006 and 2005, respectively.<br />

In addition to the above severity losses, <strong>AIG</strong> recorded other-<br />

than-temporary impairment charges in <strong>2007</strong>, 2006 and 2005<br />

related to:<br />

( securities which <strong>AIG</strong> does not intend to hold until recovery;<br />

( declines due to foreign exchange;<br />

( issuer-specific credit events;<br />

( certain structured securities impaired under EITF No. 99-20;<br />

and<br />

( other impairments, including equity securities and partnership<br />

investments.<br />

Net realized capital gains (losses) for the years ended December 31, <strong>2007</strong>, 2006 and 2005 were as follows:<br />

(in millions) <strong>2007</strong> 2006 2005<br />

Sales of fixed maturities $ (468) $(382) $ 372<br />

Sales of equity securities 1,087 813 643<br />

Sales of real estate and other assets 619 303 88<br />

Other-than-temporary impairments (4,072) (944) (598)<br />

Foreign exchange transactions (643) (382) 701<br />

Derivative instruments (115) 698 (865)<br />

Total $(3,592) $ 106 $ 341<br />

<strong>AIG</strong>FP other-than-temporary impairments* $ (643) $ — $ —<br />

* <strong>Report</strong>ed as part of other in<strong>com</strong>e.<br />

<strong>AIG</strong> <strong>2007</strong> Form 10-K 109

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