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DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2025
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]  
DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES DERIVATIVES AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES
From time to time, we use derivative financial instruments to manage our exposure to various financial risks; we do not trade or speculate in derivatives. Subject to the criteria set forth in GAAP, we will either designate our derivatives in qualifying hedging relationships, or as economic hedges should the criteria in GAAP not be met. All derivatives that we enter into are recognized at fair value in our Consolidated Balance Sheets, where our derivative receivables are included in Other assets and our derivative payables are included in Other liabilities. As permitted by GAAP, when a legally enforceable master netting agreement exists between us and the derivative counterparty, we present derivative receivables and derivative payables with the same counterparty on a net basis in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, including any related cash collateral receivables and payables.

Risk Management Objectives of Using Derivatives

We enter into derivative transactions to support our overall risk management activities. Our primary risks stem from the impact on our earnings and economic value of equity due to changes in interest rates, and to a lesser extent, changes in foreign exchange rates. Beginning in October 2024, we manage our interest rate sensitivity in part by changing the duration and re-pricing characteristics of a portion of our variable rate credit card loan portfolio by using interest rate swaps. We also use foreign currency forwards to limit our earnings and capital exposures to foreign exchange risk by hedging our limited exposures denominated in foreign currencies, in particular, Canadian dollars. We designate our interest rate swaps as qualifying accounting cash flow hedges, and account for our foreign currency forwards as economic hedges (as the criteria under GAAP for hedge accounting designation have not been met).
See below for additional information on our use of derivatives and how we account for them:

•Cash flow hedges: We designate derivatives as cash flow hedges when they are used to manage our exposure to variability in cash flows attributable to changes in contractually specified interest rates on our variable-rate credit card loans.

Changes in the fair value of derivatives designated as cash flow hedges are recorded as a component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss. Those amounts are reclassified into our Consolidated Statements of Income in the same period during which the hedged forecasted interest accruals impact earnings, and are presented in the same line item as the earnings effect of the hedged items (i.e., Interest and fees on loans).

Specifically, we entered into receive-fixed, pay-floating interest rate swaps to modify the interest rate characteristics of designated credit card loans from a floating rate to a fixed rate in order to reduce the impact of changes in forecasted future cash flows due to fluctuations in market interest rates. As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had outstanding interest rate swaps with a total notional amount of $0.8 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively. The maximum period over which forecasted interest accruals were hedged with these interest rate swaps was approximately 1.0 year as of September 30, 2025. The impacts of our cash flow hedges were insignificant to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the periods presented on both a gross basis and, where applicable, a net basis.

Additionally, within the next 12 months, the amount we expect to reclassify from Accumulated other comprehensive loss as of September 30, 2025 into our Consolidated Statements of Income will be insignificant. The actual amount reclassified into earnings may vary due to market conditions and adjustments made as part of our ongoing risk management strategy.

•Economic hedges: Our economic hedges use derivatives to hedge the risk of changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in the fair value of derivatives used in economic hedges are recognized in Other non-interest expense in our Consolidated Statements of Income.

As of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, we had outstanding foreign currency forwards with a total notional amount of $74 million and $73 million, respectively. The impacts of our economic hedges were insignificant to the Consolidated Financial Statements for the periods presented.

The notional amounts disclosed above are not exchanged on our derivatives. While these notional amounts provide an indication of the volume of our derivative activity, they significantly exceed, in our view, the possible losses that could arise from the associated transactions.