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Basis Of Presentation Basis of Presentation (Policies)
 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2018
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Fair Value Measurement, Policy
The following tables present the Company’s assets and liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis and are categorized using the fair value hierarchy. The fair value hierarchy has three levels based on the reliability of the inputs used to determine fair value.
Level Input:
 
Input Definitions:
 
 
 
Level I
 
Inputs are unadjusted, quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets at the
measurement date.
 
 
Level II
 
Inputs other than quoted prices included in Level I that are observable for the asset or liability through
corroboration with market data at the measurement date.
 
 
Level III
 
Unobservable inputs that reflect management’s best estimate of what market participants would use in
pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date.
The availability of observable inputs can vary from asset to asset and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of asset, whether the asset is new and not yet established in the marketplace, and other characteristics particular to the transaction. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by the Company in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level III. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy.  In such cases, for disclosure purposes, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls is determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
The fair value of financial instruments is generally determined by reference to quoted market values. In cases where quoted market prices are not available, fair value is based on estimates using present value or other valuation techniques, as appropriate. The fair value of interest rate swaps is determined based upon a discounted cash flow approach.
The Company measures financial instruments at fair value on a recurring basis and recognizes transfers within the fair value hierarchy at the end of the fiscal quarter in which the change in circumstances that caused the transfer occurred.
Equity Method Investments, Policy
Equity Method Investments
At September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company had various equity method investments aggregating $53 million and $74 million, respectively, which are recorded within other non-current assets on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets. The $53 million investment balance at September 30, 2018 included $46 million for the Company's investment in Guaranteed Rate Affinity, LLC ("Guaranteed Rate Affinity"). The Company's interest in PHH Home Loans, LLC ("PHH Home Loans") was sold to a subsidiary of PHH Corporation in the first quarter of 2018. The $74 million investment balance at December 31, 2017 included $48 million for the Company's investment in Guaranteed Rate Affinity and $19 million for the Company's remaining investment in PHH Home Loans. The Company received net cash proceeds of $19 million reducing the investment balance in PHH Home Loans to zero in the first quarter of 2018.
For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded equity losses of $1 million and $3 million, respectively, at the Title and Settlement Services segment primarily related to costs associated with the ramp up of operations of Guaranteed Rate Affinity. The Company recorded $10 million and $7 million of earnings related to its equity investments for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, respectively, primarily related to earnings from the first two phases of the sale of PHH Home Loans' assets to Guaranteed Rate Affinity, partially offset by the recognition of certain exit costs at PHH Home Loans.
The Company received $3 million and $24 million in cash dividends from equity method investments during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company invested $4 million into Guaranteed Rate Affinity during the first quarter of 2018 and $34 million into Guaranteed Rate Affinity during the nine months ended September 30, 2017.
Income Tax, Policy
Income Taxes
The Company's provision for income taxes in interim periods is computed by applying its estimated annual effective tax rate against the income before income taxes for the period.  In addition, non-recurring or discrete items are recorded in the period in which they occur.  The provision for income taxes was an expense of $40 million and $67 million for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and an expense of $73 million and $131 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively.
Derivatives, Policy
Derivative Instruments
The Company records derivatives and hedging activities on the balance sheet at their respective fair values. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts largely to manage its exposure to changes in foreign currency exchange rates associated with its foreign currency denominated receivables and payables.  The Company primarily manages its foreign currency exposure to the Euro, British Pound, Swiss Franc and Canadian Dollar. The Company has not elected to utilize hedge accounting for these forward contracts; therefore, any change in fair value is recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. However, the fluctuations in the value of these forward contracts generally offset the impact of changes in the value of the underlying risk that they are intended to economically hedge. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts in an asset position with a fair value of less than $1 million and a notional value of $27 million. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had outstanding foreign currency forward contracts in a liability position with a fair value of less than $1 million and a notional value of $25 million.
The Company also enters into interest rate swaps to manage its exposure to changes in interest rates associated with its variable rate borrowings. Interest rate swaps with a notional value of $425 million expired February 10, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $1,600 million to offset the variability in cash flows resulting from the term loan facilities as follows:
Notional Value (in millions)
 
Commencement Date
 
Expiration Date
$600
 
August 2015
 
August 2020
$450
 
November 2017
 
November 2022
$400
(a)
August 2020
 
August 2025
$150
(a)
November 2022
 
November 2027

_______________
(a)
During the second quarter of 2018, the Company entered into four new forward starting interest rate swaps, two with a notional value of $125 million and two with a notional value of $150 million.
The swaps help to protect our outstanding variable rate borrowings from future interest rate volatility. The Company has not elected to utilize hedge accounting for these interest rate swaps; therefore, any change in fair value is recorded in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
The fair value of derivative instruments was as follows:
Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
 
Balance Sheet Location
 
September 30, 2018
 
December 31, 2017
Interest rate swap contracts
 
Other non-current assets
 
$
15

 
$
—

 
Other current and non-current liabilities
 
2

 
13


The effect of derivative instruments on earnings was as follows:
Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
 
Location of (Gain) or Loss Recognized for Derivative Instruments
 
(Gain) or Loss Recognized on Derivatives
Three Months Ended September 30,
 
Nine Months Ended September 30,
 
2018
 
2017
 
2018
 
2017
Interest rate swap contracts
 
Interest expense
 
$
(7
)
 
$
—

 
$
(19
)
 
$
4

Foreign exchange contracts
 
Operating expense
 
—

 
1

 
(1
)
 
2
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy
Restricted Cash
Restricted cash primarily relates to amounts specifically designated as collateral for the repayment of outstanding borrowings under the Company’s securitization facilities. Such amounts approximated $11 million and $7 million at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy
Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements
In May 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-09 (Topic 606) "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" (the "new revenue standard"). The objective of the new revenue standard is to provide a single, comprehensive revenue recognition model for all contracts with customers to improve comparability within industries, across industries, and across capital markets. After a review of the Company's revenue streams, the Company determined that the new revenue standard did not have a material impact on financial results as the majority of the Company's revenue is recognized at the completion of a homesale transaction which did not result in a change in the timing of recognition of revenue transactions under the new revenue standard. The Company adopted the new revenue standard on January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method in which the cumulative effect of applying the new revenue standard was recognized as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. See Note 2, "Revenue Recognition" for further details.
In February 2018, the FASB issued a new standard which permits companies to reclassify certain income tax effects resulting from the 2017 Tax Act, called "stranded tax effects", from accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI") to retained earnings. According to the new guidance, the reclassification amount should include the effect of the change in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate on the gross deferred tax amounts and related valuation allowances, if any, at the date of enactment of the 2017 Tax Act related to items remaining in AOCI. The guidance is effective for all companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption is permitted. The Company early adopted this standard in the first quarter of 2018 which resulted in a debit to Accumulated other comprehensive loss and a credit to Accumulated deficit for $9 million. The Company’s accounting policy for releasing income tax effects from AOCI is to release those effects when our entire portfolio of the type of item is liquidated.
In June 2018, the FASB issued a new standard related to non-employee share-based payment accounting. The new guidance eliminates specific accounting for non-employee share-based payments and aligns the treatment for awards issued to employees and non-employees reducing the complexity of measurement of non-employee awards and creating a single accounting model. The new standard is applied to all new awards granted after the date of adoption. In addition, all liability-classified awards that have not been settled and equity-classified awards for which a measurement date has not been established by the adoption date should be remeasured at fair value as of the adoption date with a cumulative effect adjustment to opening retained earnings in the fiscal year of adoption. If early adoption of the new guidance is chosen in an interim period, any adjustments should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year that includes that interim period. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance during the second quarter of 2018. There was an immaterial impact upon adoption.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
The Company considers the applicability and impact of all Accounting Standards Updates ("ASUs"). ASUs not listed below were assessed and determined to be either not applicable or are expected to have minimal impact on our consolidated financial position or results of operations.
In February 2016, the FASB issued its new standard on leases which requires virtually all leases to be recognized on the balance sheet. Lessees will recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases (other than leases that meet the definition of a short-term lease). The liability will be equal to the present value of lease payments. The asset will be based on the liability, subject to adjustment, such as for lease incentives, prepayments and initial direct costs. For income statement purposes, leases will be classified as either operating or finance leases. Operating leases will result in straight-line expense, similar to current operating leases, while finance leases will result in a front-loaded expense pattern, similar to current capital leases. Classification will be based on criteria that are largely similar to those applied in current lease accounting, but without explicit bright lines.
The new standard is effective on January 1, 2019, with early adoption permitted, requiring a modified retrospective transition approach, applying the new standard to all leases existing at the date of initial application. In July 2018, the FASB issued an ASU that allows entities to elect an optional transition relief giving companies the option to apply the provisions of the new guidance at the effective date (e.g., January 1, 2019), as opposed to the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements under the modified retrospective transition approach (January 1, 2017), and recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the period of adoption. The Company will adopt the new standard during the first quarter of 2019 and will elect the optional transition relief. The new standard allows for an optional package of practical expedients during transition which permit companies to not reassess prior conclusions about lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs under the new standard. The Company plans to elect this package of practical expedients; however, the Company does not expect to elect the use of hindsight practical expedients and therefore current lease terms largely remained unchanged.
The new standard also allows practical expedients for future accounting under the new standard. The Company plans to elect the short-term lease recognition exemption and will not recognize a lease obligation and right-of-use asset on its balance sheet for all leases with terms of 12 months or less. The Company also plans to elect the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all of its leases resulting in a larger lease liability recorded on the balance sheet.
The Company is still evaluating the impact of the standard on its consolidated financial statements but currently believes that the most significant effects of adoption relate to the recognition of new right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet for real estate operating leases. Future lease obligations are disclosed in Note 13. "Commitments and Contingencies" of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company is in the process of evaluating its policies and internal controls, as well as implementing a new lease management system which will be utilized to account for leases under the new guidance once adopted.
In August 2018, the SEC issued a final rule that amends certain disclosure requirements as part of the SEC’s overall project to improve disclosure effectiveness and simplify compliance. The final rule eliminates redundant, duplicative and overlapping requirements which are substantially similar to current GAAP or other SEC disclosure requirements, as well as amends or removes outdated and superseded requirements. However, in some situations, the amendments expanded disclosure requirements, such as an analysis of changes in stockholders’ equity will now be required for the current and comparative quarter and year-to-date interim periods. The amended rules become effective 30 days after publication in the Federal Register. The Company has included its statement of changes in stockholders' equity for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 to conform with the new requirements.