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Significant Accounting Policies | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2011
Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Significant Accounting Policies | Note 1 – Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation. The consolidated financial statements of Brunswick Corporation (Brunswick or the Company) have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation. Principles of Consolidation. The consolidated financial statements of Brunswick include the accounts of all consolidated domestic and foreign subsidiaries, after eliminating transactions between the Company and such subsidiaries. Use of Estimates. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) requires management to make certain estimates. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates. These estimates affect: – The reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; – The disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements; and – The reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Estimates in these consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to: – Allowances for doubtful accounts; – Inventory valuation reserves; – Reserves for dealer allowances; – Warranty related reserves; – Losses on litigation and other contingencies; – Environmental reserves; – Insurance reserves; – Income tax reserves; – Valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets; – Valuation allowances on deferred tax assets; – Reserves related to repurchase and recourse obligations; – Impairments of long-lived assets; – Reserves related to restructuring activities; and – Postretirement benefit liabilities. The Company records a reserve when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the loss can be reasonably estimated. The Company establishes its reserve based on its best estimate within a range of losses. If the Company is unable to identify the best estimate, the Company records the minimum amount in the range. Cash and Cash Equivalents. The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. These investments include, but are not limited to, investments in money market funds, bank deposits, federal government and agency debt securities and commercial paper. Investments in marketable securities. The Company classifies investments in debt securities that are not considered to be Cash equivalents as either Short-term or Long-term investments in marketable securities. See Note 7 – Investments, for a description of the securities classified as either Short or Long-term investments in marketable securities. Short-term investments in marketable securities have a stated maturity of twelve months or less from the balance sheet date and Long-term investments in marketable securities have a stated maturity of greater than twelve months from the balance sheet date. These securities are considered as available for sale and are reported at fair value with unrealized gains and losses recorded net of tax as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss in Unrealized investment gains (losses) within Shareholders' equity. Other-than-temporary declines in market value from original cost are charged to Other expense, net, in the period in which the loss occurs. The Company considers both the duration for which a decline in value has occurred and the extent of the decline in its determination of whether a decline in value has been “other than temporary.” Realized gains and losses are calculated based on the specific identification method and are included in Other expense, net, in the Consolidated Statement of Operations. Restricted Cash. The Company considers the cash deposited in a trust that is pledged as collateral against certain workers' compensation related obligations to be restricted cash. Refer to Note 11 – Commitments and Contingencies for more information. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts. The Company carries its accounts receivable at their face amounts less an allowance for doubtful accounts. On a regular basis, the Company records an allowance for uncollectible receivables based upon known bad debt risks and past loss history, customer payment practices and economic conditions. Actual collection experience may differ from the current estimate of net receivables. A change to the allowance for doubtful accounts may be required if a future event or other change in circumstances results in a change in the estimate of the ultimate collectability of a specific account. The Company treats the sale of receivables in which the Company retains an interest as a secured obligation. Accordingly, the short-term portion of the receivables sold that are subject to recourse is recorded in Accounts and notes receivable and Accrued expenses in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Inventories. Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market, with market based on replacement cost or net realizable value. Approximately 53 percent of the Company's inventories were determined by the first-in, first-out method (FIFO) at December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively. Inventories valued at the last-in, first-out method (LIFO), which results in a better matching of costs and revenue, were $119.8 million and $118.2 million lower than the FIFO cost of inventories at December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Inventory cost includes material, labor and manufacturing overhead. During 2009, certain inventory balances were reduced, and resulted in liquidations of LIFO inventory layers that decreased cost of sales by $11.2 million in 2009. There were no liquidations of LIFO inventory layers in 2011 or 2010. Property. Property, including major improvements and product tooling costs, is recorded at cost. Product tooling costs principally comprise the cost to acquire and construct various long-lived molds, dies and other tooling owned by the Company and used in its manufacturing processes. Design and prototype development costs associated with product tooling are expensed as incurred. Maintenance and repair costs are also expensed as incurred. Depreciation is recorded over the estimated service lives of the related assets, principally using the straight-line method. Buildings and improvements are depreciated over a useful life of five to forty years. Equipment is depreciated over a useful life of two to twenty years. Product tooling costs are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the tooling or the anticipated life of the applicable product, for a period not to exceed eight years. Gains and losses recognized on the sale and disposal of property are included in either Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses or Restructuring, exit and impairment charges as appropriate. The amount of gains and losses for the years ended December 31 was as follows:
(in millions) |  | 2011 |  | 2010 |  | 2009
Gains on the sale of property |  | $ | 19.0 |  |  | $ | 4.9 |  |  | $ | 6.0 |
Losses on the sale and disposal of property |  |  | (2.8 | ) |  |  | (9.9 | ) |  |  | (11.9 | )
Net gains (losses) on sale and disposal of property |  | $ | 16.2 |  |  | $ | (5.0 | ) |  | $ | (5.9 | )
Software Development Costs. The Company expenses all software development and implementation costs incurred until the Company has determined that the software will result in probable future economic benefit and management has committed to funding the project. Once this is determined, external direct costs of material and services, payroll-related costs of employees working on the project and related interest costs incurred during the application development stage are capitalized. These capitalized costs are amortized over three to seven years. All other related costs, including training costs and costs to re-engineer business processes are expensed as incurred. Goodwill and Other Intangibles. Goodwill and other intangible assets primarily result from business acquisitions. The excess of cost over net assets of businesses acquired is recorded as goodwill. The Company reviews these assets for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The reporting units with goodwill balances are the Company's Fitness and Marine Engine segments. During 2011, the Company early adopted an amendment to the Intangibles - Goodwill and Other Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC). The Company determined through its qualitative assessment that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair values of its reporting units are less than their carrying values. As a result, the Company was not required to perform the two-step impairment test described below. For 2010 and 2009, the impairment test for goodwill was a two-step process. The first step compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. If the fair value of a reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, goodwill of the reporting unit is not considered impaired. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step is performed to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. In this second step, the implied fair value of the reporting unit's goodwill is compared with the carrying amount of the goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit's goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess, not to exceed the carrying amount of the goodwill. The Company calculates the fair value of its reporting units considering both the income approach and the guideline public company method. The income approach calculates the fair value of the reporting unit using a discounted cash flow approach utilizing a Gordon Growth model. Internally forecasted future cash flows, which the Company believes reasonably approximate market participant assumptions, are discounted using a weighted average cost of capital (Discount Rate) developed for each reporting unit. The Discount Rate is developed using market observable inputs, as well as considering whether or not there is a measure of risk related to the specific reporting unit's forecasted performance. Fair value under the guideline public company method is determined by applying market multiples for that reporting unit's comparable public companies to the unit's financial results. The key uncertainties in these calculations are the assumptions used in a reporting unit's forecasted future performance, including revenue growth and operating margins, as well as the perceived risk associated with those forecasts, and selecting representative market multiples. The Company did not record any goodwill impairments during the annual impairment testing in 2011, 2010 or 2009. The Company's primary intangible assets are customer relationships and trade names acquired in business combinations. The costs of amortizable intangible assets are amortized over their expected useful lives, typically between three and fifteen years, to their estimated residual values using the straight-line method. Intangible assets that are subject to amortization are evaluated for impairment using a process similar to that used to evaluate long-lived assets described below. Intangible assets not subject to amortization are assessed for impairment at least annually and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. The impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets consists of a comparison of the fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount. An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. The fair value of trade names is measured using a relief-from-royalty approach, which assumes the value of the trade name is the discounted cash flows of the amount that would be paid to third parties had the Company not owned the trade name and instead licensed the trade name from another company. Higher royalty rates are assigned to premium brands within the marketplace based on name recognition and profitability, while other brands receive lower royalty rates. The basis for future cash flow projections is internal revenue forecasts by brand, which the Company believes represent reasonable market participant assumptions, to which the selected royalty rate is applied. These future cash flows are discounted using the applicable Discount Rate, which considers the annual goodwill impairment testing process noted above, as well as any potential risk premium to reflect the inherent risk of holding a standalone intangible asset. The key uncertainties in this calculation are the selection of an appropriate royalty rate and assumptions used in developing internal revenue growth forecasts, as well as the perceived risk associated with those forecasts in developing the Discount Rate. The Company did not record any indefinite-lived intangible asset impairments during the annual impairment testing in 2011, 2010 or 2009. However, the Company recorded $1.1 million of trade name impairment charges during 2010 in connection with the divestiture of its Triton fiberglass boat brand. Refer to Note 2 – Restructuring Activities for further discussion. Equity Investments. For investments in which Brunswick owns or controls from 20 percent to 50 percent of the voting shares, which includes all of Brunswick's unconsolidated joint venture investments, the equity method of accounting is used. The Company's share of net earnings or losses from equity method investments is included in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The Company also has long-term investments that represent less than 20 percent ownership in certain equity securities that have readily determinable market values. These investments are being accounted for as available-for-sale equity investments and are recorded at fair market value with changes reflected in Accumulated other comprehensive loss, a component of Shareholders' equity, on an after-tax basis. Other investments, over which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence and for which there is not a readily determinable market value, are accounted for under the cost method of accounting. The Company periodically evaluates the carrying value of its investments, and at December 31, 2011 and 2010, such investments were recorded at the lower of cost or fair value. Long-Lived Assets. The Company continually evaluates whether events and circumstances have occurred that indicate the remaining estimated useful lives of its definite-lived intangible assets, excluding goodwill and indefinite-lived trade names, and other long-lived assets may warrant revision or that the remaining balance of such assets may not be recoverable. Once an impairment indicator is identified, the Company tests for recoverability of the related asset group using an estimate of undiscounted cash flows over the remaining asset group's life. In the event that an asset group's carrying value is not recoverable, the Company records an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying value of the asset group over the long-lived asset group's fair value. Fair value is determined using observable inputs, including the use of appraisals from independent third parties, when available, and, when observable inputs are not available, based on the Company's assumptions of the data that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability, based on the best information available in the circumstances. Specifically, the Company uses discounted cash flows to determine the fair value of the asset when observable inputs are unavailable. The Company tested its long-lived asset balances for impairment as indicators presented themselves during 2011, 2010 and 2009, resulting in impairment charges of $5.0 million, $21.6 million and $68.1 million, respectively, which are recognized in Restructuring, exit and impairment charges and Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Other Long-Term Assets. Other long-term assets are primarily long-term notes receivable, which includes leases and other long-term receivables originated by the Company and assigned to third parties. As of December 31, 2011 and 2010, these amounts totaled $33.2 million and $47.2 million, respectively. The assignment of these instruments does not meet sale criteria as a result of the Company's contingent obligation to repurchase the receivables in the event of customer non-payment and therefore is treated as a secured obligation. Accordingly, these amounts were recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets under Other long-term assets and Long-term liabilities - Other. Other long-term notes receivable also includes cash advances made to customers, principally boat builders and fitness equipment customers, or their owners, in connection with long-term supply arrangements. These transactions have occurred in the normal course of business and are backed by secured or unsecured notes receivable. Credits earned by these customers through qualifying purchases are applied to the outstanding note balance in lieu of payment. Credits earned and applied against the note receivable balance are recorded as a reduction in the Company's sales revenue as a sales discount. In the event sufficient product purchases are not made, the outstanding balance remaining under the notes is subject to full collection. Amounts outstanding related to these arrangements as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, totaled $4.1 million and $5.1 million, respectively. One boat builder customer and its owner comprised approximately 46 percent of these amounts as of December 31, 2011 and 2010. Revenue Recognition. Brunswick's revenue is derived primarily from the sale of boats, marine engines, marine parts and accessories, fitness equipment, bowling products, bowling retail activities and billiards tables. Revenue is recognized in accordance with the terms of the sale, primarily upon shipment to customers, once the sales price is fixed or determinable and collectability is reasonably assured. Brunswick offers discounts and sales incentives that include retail promotions, rebates and manufacturer coupons that are recorded as reductions of revenues in Net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The estimated liability for sales incentives is recorded at the later of when the program has been communicated to the customer or at the time of sale. Revenues from freight are included as a part of Net sales in the Consolidated Statements of Operations, whereas shipping, freight and handling costs are included in Cost of sales. Advertising Costs. Advertising and promotion costs are recorded in Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations when the advertising first takes place. Advertising and promotion costs were $35.9 million, $34.8 million and $33.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Foreign Currency. The functional currency for the majority of Brunswick's operations is the U.S. dollar. All assets and liabilities of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at current rates. The resulting translation adjustments are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax. Revenues and expenses of operations with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are translated at the average exchange rates for the period. Comprehensive Income (Loss). Accumulated other comprehensive loss includes prior service costs and credits and net actuarial gains and losses for defined benefit plans, currency translation adjustments and unrealized derivative and investment gains and losses, all net of tax. The net effect of these items reduced Shareholders' equity on a cumulative basis by $540.8 million and $415.5 million as of December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The change from 2010 to 2011 was primarily due to changes in net actuarial losses related to unfavorable adjustments to plan liabilities resulting from a reduction in the discount rate, partially offset by the amortization of net actuarial losses during 2011. Additionally, the Company recognized a $15.7 million favorable foreign currency translation adjustment as a part of the net Restructuring, exit and impairment charges discussed in Note 2 – Restructuring Activities. Other unfavorable foreign currency translation adjustments and changes in Unrealized gains (losses) on derivative contracts of $4.7 million and $4.0 million, respectively, also increased the Company's Accumulated other comprehensive loss in 2011. The tax effect included in Accumulated other comprehensive loss reduced losses by $40.5 million and $13.5 million, for which a corresponding valuation allowance adjustment has been recorded, for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. Stock-Based Compensation. The Company records amounts for all share-based payments to employees, including grants of stock options and the compensatory elements of employee stock purchase plans over the vesting period in the income statement based upon their fair values at the date of the grant. Share-based employee compensation costs are recognized as a component of Selling, general and administrative expense in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. See Note 16 – Stock Plans and Management Compensation for a description of the Company's accounting for stock-based compensation plans. Derivatives. The Company uses derivative financial instruments to manage its risk associated with movements in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates and commodity prices. These instruments are used in accordance with guidelines established by the Company's management and are not used for trading or speculative purposes. All derivatives are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets at fair value. See Note 12 – Financial Instruments for further discussion. Recent Accounting Pronouncements. The Company evaluates the pronouncements of various authoritative accounting organizations, primarily the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), the SEC, and the Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF), to determine the impact of new pronouncements on GAAP and the impact on the Company. The following are recent accounting pronouncements that have been adopted during 2011 or have not yet been adopted: Revenue Recognition: In October 2009, the FASB amended the ASC to address the accounting for multiple-deliverable arrangements to enable vendors to account for products or services (deliverables) separately rather than as a combined unit. The amendment is effective prospectively for revenue arrangements entered into or materially modified in fiscal years beginning on or after June 15, 2010, with early adoption permitted. The adoption of this amendment on January 1, 2011 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated results of operations and financial condition. Receivables: In July 2010, the FASB amended the ASC to include additional disclosure requirements related to the Company's financing receivables and associated credit risk. The disclosure requirements presented as of the end of a reporting period are effective for interim and annual periods ending on or after December 15, 2010 and were first included in the Company's 2010 Form 10-K. The disclosure requirements about activity that occurs during a reporting period are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2010, and are included in expanded disclosures in Note 6 – Financing Receivables. In April 2011, the FASB amended the ASC to clarify the guidance regarding when a restructuring of a receivable constitutes a troubled debt restructuring. The amendment is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after June 15, 2011. The amendment must be applied retrospectively to restructurings occurring on or after the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. Information regarding the Company's troubled debt restructurings is included in Note 6 – Financing Receivables. Fair Value Measurements: In May 2011, the FASB amended the ASC to develop common requirements for measuring fair value and for disclosing information about fair value measurements in accordance with GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The amendment is effective for the first interim or annual period beginning on or after December 15, 2011. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of the ASC amendment may have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Comprehensive Income: In June 2011 and December 2011, the FASB amended the ASC to increase the prominence of the items reported in other comprehensive income. Specifically, the amendment to the ASC eliminates the option to present the components of other comprehensive income as part of the Statement of Shareholders' Equity. The amendment must be applied retrospectively and is effective for fiscal years, and the interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of the ASC amendment will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Intangibles – Goodwill and Other: In September 2011, the FASB amended the ASC to simplify how entities test goodwill for impairment. The amendment to the ASC permits entities to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. The amendment is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted. The Company elected to early adopt the ASC amendment and has included the related disclosures in Note 1 – Significant Accounting Policies. Compensation – Retirement Benefits – Multiemployer Plans: In September 2011, the FASB amended the ASC to require additional qualitative and quantitative disclosures for employers that participate in multiemployer pension plans. The amendment to the ASC requires that employers disclose the significant multiemployer plans in which the employer participates, the level of participation in the plans, the financial health of the plans and the nature of the employer's commitments to the plans. The amendment is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2011. The adoption of this ASC amendment during the fourth quarter of 2011 had no impact on the Company's disclosures as its multiemployer plans are not significant individually or in the aggregate.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for all significant accounting policies of the reporting entity. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18743-107790 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18854-107790 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Principles Board Opinion (APB) -Number 22 -Paragraph 8 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18861-107790 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18780-107790 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367646&loc=d3e18726-107790 + Details
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