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Reserves For Losses (Tables) | 9 Months Ended
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Sep. 30, 2011 | Sep. 30, 2010
Reserves For Losses Tables [Abstract] |  |
Changes in the cardmember receivable reserve for losses | The following table presents changes in the cardmember receivables reserve for losses for the nine months ended September 30:
(Millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 386 |  | $ | 546
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cardmember receivables provisions(a) |  |  | 404 |  |  | 292
| Cardmember receivables provisions – other(b) |  |  | 129 |  |  | 120
|  | Total provision |  |  | 533 |  |  | 412
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cardmember receivables net write-offs(c) |  |  | (406) |  |  | (481)
| Cardmember receivables – other(d) |  |  | (125) |  |  | (113)
Balance, September 30 |  | $ | 388 |  | $ | 364
(a) Represents loss provisions for cardmember receivables consisting of principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee reserve components. (b) Primarily represents loss provisions for cardmember receivables resulting from unauthorized transactions. (c) Represents write-offs consisting of principal (resulting from authorized transactions) and fee components, less recoveries of $255 million and $275 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively. (d) T hese amounts include net write-offs of cardmember receivables resulting from unauthorized transactions and foreign currency translation adjustments. |
Cardmember receivables and related reserves evaluated separately and collectively for impairment | Cardmember R eceivables Evaluated Separately and Collectively for Impairment The following table presents cardmember receivables evaluated separat ely and collectively for impair ment and related reserves as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010:
(Millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Cardmember receivables evaluated separately for impairment(a) |  | $ | 159 |  | $ | 114
Reserves on cardmember receivables evaluated separately for impairment(a) |  | $ | 94 |  | $ | 63
Cardmember receivables evaluated collectively for impairment |  | $ | 39,600 |  | $ | 37,152
Reserves on cardmember receivables evaluated collectively for impairment |  | $ | 294 |  | $ | 323
(a) Represents receivables modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables dis cussion in N ote 4 for further information. |
Changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses | The following table presents changes in the cardmember loans reserve for losses for the nine months ended September 30:
(Millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Balance, January 1 |  | $ | 3,646 |  | $ | 3,268
Reserves established for consolidation of a variable interest entity(a) |  |  | ― |  |  | 2,531
Total adjusted balance, January 1 |  |  | 3,646 |  |  | 5,799
Additions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cardmember loans provisions(b) |  |  | 23 |  |  | 1,429
| Cardmember loans provisions – other(c) |  |  | 81 |  |  | 61
|  | Total provision |  |  | 104 |  |  | 1,490
Deductions: |  |  |  |  |  |
| Cardmember loans net write-offs – principal(d) |  |  | (1,375) |  |  | (2,630)
| Cardmember loans net write-offs – interest and fees(d) |  |  | (159) |  |  | (287)
| Cardmember loans – other(e) |  |  | (77) |  |  | (54)
Balance, September 30 |  | $ | 2,139 |  | $ | 4,318
(a) Represents the establishment of cardmember reserves for losses for cardmember loans issued by the American Expr ess Credit Account Master Trust (the Lending Trust) for the securitized loan portfolio that was consolidated under accounting guidance for consolidation of VIEs effective January 1, 2010. The establishment of the $2.5 billion reserve for losses for the securitized loan portfolio was determined by applying the same methodology as is used for the Company's unsecuritized loan portfolio. There was no incremental reserve required nor were any charge-offs recorded in conjunction with the consolidation of the Lending Trust. (b) Represents loss provisions for cardmember loans consisting of principal (resulting from authorized transactions), interest and fee reserves components. (c) Primarily represents loss provisions for cardmember loans resulting from unauthorized transactions. (d) Cardmember loans net write-offs – principal for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 and 2010 include recoveries of $444 million and $422 million, respectively. Recoveries of interest and fees were de minimis. (e) These amounts include net write-offs related to unauthorized transactions and foreign currency translation adjustments. |
Cardmember loans and related reserves evaluated separately and collectively for impairment | Cardmember Loans Evaluated Separately and Collectively for Impairment The following table presents cardmember loans evaluated separately and collectively for impairment and the related reserves as of September 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010:
(Millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010
Cardmember loans evaluated separately for impairment(a) |  | $ | 878 |  | $ | 1,087
Reserves on cardmember loans evaluated separately for impairment(a) |  | $ | 203 |  | $ | 279
Cardmember loans evaluated collectively for impairment(b) |  | $ | 57,329 |  | $ | 59,763
Reserves on cardmember loans evaluated collectively for impairment(b) |  | $ | 1,936 |  | $ | 3,367
| (a) Represents loans modified in a TDR and related reserves. Refer to the Impaired Loans and Receivables d iscussion in Note 4 for further information. (b) Represents current loans and loans less than 90 days past due, loans over 90 days past due and accruing interest, and non-accrual loans and related reserves. The reserves include the results of analytical models that are specific to individual pools of loans and reserves for external environmental factors that apply broadly to all loans collectively evaluated for impairment and are not specific to any individual pool of loans.

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- Definition Tabular disclosure of credit losses for current financing receivables (such as trade and accounts receivable), including a rollforward of the balance. An alternative caption includes allowance for doubtful accounts. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Topic 310 -SubTopic 10 -Publisher FASB -Number -Article -Subparagraph (c) -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Paragraph 11B -Section 50 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6965416&loc=SL6953423-111524 + Details
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