Unum Group

We analyze our performance using non-GAAP financial measures. A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position, or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are not normally excluded or included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The non-GAAP financial measure of "after-tax adjusted operating income" differs from net income as presented in our consolidated operating results and income statements prepared in accordance with GAAP due to the exclusion of investment gains or losses, Closed Block segment after-tax adjusted operating income or loss, reserve assumption updates and certain other items. The excluded items impacting the periods presented herein are specified in the reconciliations below. We believe after-tax adjusted operating income is a better performance measure and better indicator of the profitability and underlying trends in our business.

Investment gains or losses primarily include realized investment gains or losses, expected investment credit losses, impairment losses, and gains or losses on derivatives. Investment gains or losses depend on market conditions and do not necessarily relate to decisions regarding the underlying business of our segments. Our investment focus is on investment income to support our insurance liabilities as opposed to the generation of investment gains or losses. Although we may experience investment gains or losses which will affect future earnings levels, a long-term focus is necessary to maintain profitability over the life of the business since our underlying business is long-term in nature, and we need to earn the interest rates assumed in calculating our liabilities.

We have completed reinsurance transactions to exit significant portions of our Closed Block businesses and we are no longer accepting new enrollments on existing group long-term care policies. As a result of these actions and the continued run-off of the Closed Block business, Closed Block segment earnings are less relevant to our financial results and as such, we exclude the results of the Closed Block segment from after-tax adjusted operating income. As part of this update, we also determined that it is no longer necessary to adjust after-tax adjusted operating income to exclude the amortization of the cost of reinsurance, the amortization of the deferred gain on reinsurance, and the impact of non-contemporaneous reinsurance, because the majority of these items are included in Closed Block segment results. Prior period financial information has been adjusted to conform to this updated presentation.

Cash flow assumptions used to calculate our liability for future policy benefits are reviewed at least annually and updated, as needed, with the resulting impact reflected in net income. While the effects of these assumption updates are recorded in the reporting period in which the review is completed, these updates reflect experience emergence and changes to expectations spanning multiple periods. We believe that by excluding the impact of reserve assumption updates we are providing a more comparable and consistent view of our quarterly results.

We may at other times exclude certain other items from our discussion of financial ratios and metrics in order to enhance the understanding and comparability of our operational performance and the underlying fundamentals, but this exclusion is not an indication that similar items may not recur and does not replace net income or net loss as a measure of our overall profitability.

See "Investments" contained herein in Item 2 and Notes 4 and 10 of the "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements" contained herein in Item 1 for further discussion regarding the items specified in the reconciliation below.

A reconciliation of GAAP financial measures to our non-GAAP financial measures is as follows:

We measure and analyze our segment performance on the basis of "segment adjusted operating revenue" and "segment adjusted operating income" or "segment adjusted operating loss", which differ from total revenue and income before income tax as presented in our consolidated statements of income due to the exclusion of investment gains and losses, reserve assumption updates, and certain other items. The excluded items impacting the periods presented herein are specified in the reconciliations below. These performance measures are in accordance with GAAP guidance for segment reporting, but they should not be viewed as a substitute for total revenue, income before income tax, or net income.

A reconciliation of total revenue to "segment adjusted operating revenue" and income before income tax to "segment adjusted operating income" is as follows: