Delaware brings in outside experts for Brighthouse Life review

Delaware's insurance regulator has brought in outside experts to help review the proposed acquisition of Brighthouse Life Insurance Co., AM Best News reported on Aug. 18. The regulator described the deal as significant but has not identified the experts, the buyer, or a timeline for the review.

Buying a life insurer is a capital event. The acquirer must show it can support the target's reserves and keep policyholder promises that can run for decades. With a block like Brighthouse's, reserve assumptions take years to validate. Outside reviewers in these deals are usually actuarial consultants testing reserve adequacy or financial advisers stress-testing the funding. Delaware appears to want an independent read on those numbers, most likely the financing structure, the reserve adequacy, or both. The precise scope is unconfirmed.

The review arrives as the NAIC's 2026 investment accounting changes are set to alter how life insurers' holdings feed into risk-based capital, with consequences for the next filing season. An acquisition reviewed before those rules are fully absorbed carries uncertainty about the capital it will require once the new treatment lands. Delaware's move suggests it means to scrutinize the capital mechanics, not just clear paperwork.

The buyer's structure will shape that analysis. An owner planning to run off Brighthouse's existing block faces different capital questions than one intending to write new coverage. The outside review is a strong hint Delaware is weighing that distinction. The outcome will be a marker for other life insurer acquisitions under the incoming accounting regime. Whether the outside experts issue a public report is the thing to watch; if they do, it will be the first window into how Delaware weighs reserve financing in a life insurer control deal.