Investments in Affiliated Companies

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Investments in Affiliated Companies [Abstract]

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures Disclosure

Investments in Affiliated Companies

Investments in affiliated companies represent our investment in non-consolidated domestic and foreign entities. These entities are in businesses similar to ours, such as credit reporting, credit scoring and credit monitoring services.

We use the equity method to account for investments in affiliates where we are able to exercise significant influence. For these investments, we adjust the carrying value for our proportionate share of the affiliates’ earnings, losses and distributions, as well as for purchases and sales of our ownership interest.

We use the cost method to account for nonmarketable investments in affiliates where we are not able to exercise significant influence. For these investments, we adjust the carrying value for purchases and sales of our ownership interests.

For all investments, we adjust the carrying value if we determine that an other-than-temporary impairment has occurred. There were no other-than-temporary impairments of investments in affiliated companies during the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 or 2016.

Investments in affiliated companies consisted of the following:



(in millions)	June 30, 2017		December 31, 2016
Total equity method investments	$	48.0	$	39.4
Total cost method investments	23.2		23.2
Total investments in affiliated companies	$	71.2	$	62.6

These balances are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

Earnings from equity method investments, which are included in non-operating income and expense, and dividends received from equity method investments consisted of the following:



	Three Months Ended June 30,				Six Months Ended June 30,
(in millions)	2017		2016		2017		2016
Earnings from equity method investments	$	2.0	$	2.0	$	3.7	$	3.9
Dividends received from equity method investments	$	0.3	$	5.2	$	0.5	$	5.6

Dividends received from cost method investments for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 was $0.7 million in each period and for the three and six months ended June 30, 2016 was $0.6 million in each period.