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Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies (Notes) | 6 Months Ended
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Jun. 30, 2018
Accounting Policies [Abstract] |
Organization, Consolidation, Basis of Presentation, Business Description and Accounting Policies [Text Block] | 2. BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Company has disclosed its significant accounting policies in Note 2. Basis of Presentation and Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The following significant accounting policies provide an update to those included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K. Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") for interim financial reporting and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and disclosures required by GAAP for annual periods. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. The accompanying consolidated financial statements have not been audited by an independent registered public accounting firm in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (U.S.), but in the opinion of management such financial statements include all adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial position and results of operations. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. The results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 may not be indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2018. The December 31, 2017 consolidated balance sheet was derived from audited financial statements. The preparation of financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. As additional information becomes available or actual amounts become determinable, the recorded estimates are revised and reflected in operating results. Foreign Currency: Financial statement accounts expressed in foreign currencies are translated into U.S. dollars in accordance with the Foreign Currency Matters Topic of the ASC. The functional currencies of Ambac's subsidiaries are the local currencies of the country where the respective subsidiaries are based, which are also the primary operating environments in which the subsidiaries operate. Foreign currency translation: Functional currency assets and liabilities of Ambac’s foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars using exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates and the related translation adjustments, net of deferred taxes, are included as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income in Stockholders' Equity. Functional currency operating results of foreign subsidiaries are translated using average exchange rates. Foreign currency transactions: The impact of non-functional currency transactions and the remeasurement of non-functional currency assets and liabilities into the respective subsidiaries' functional currency (collectively "foreign currency transactions gains/(losses)") are $(3,591) and $14,786 for the six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017, of which $(6,359) and $17,622 relate to the remeasurement of loss reserves, classified in Loss and loss expenses, respectively. Foreign currency transactions gains/(losses) are primarily the result of remeasuring Ambac UK's assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than its functional currency, primarily the U.S. dollar and the Euro. Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information
|  | Six Months Ended June 30,
|  | 2018 |  | 2017
Cash paid during the period for: |  |  |  |
Income taxes |  | $ | 26,910 |  |  | $ | 16,012 |
Interest on long-term debt and investment agreements |  | 157,896 |  |  | 37,471 |
Non-cash financing activities: |  |  |  |
Decrease in long-term debt as a result of an exchange for investment securities |  | $ | — |  |  | $ | 55,426 |
Rehabilitation exit transaction discharge of all Deferred Amounts and cancellation of certain General Account Surplus Notes |  | 1,918,561 |  |  | — |
Reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported within the Consolidated Balance Sheets to the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows: |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  | $ | 44,398 |  |  | $ | 54,238 |
Restricted cash |  | 1,052 |  |  | 5,015 |
Total cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash shown on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows |  | $ | 45,450 |  |  | $ | 59,253 |
In addition to the non-cash financing activities disclosed in the above table, the Rehabilitation Exit Transactions involved the exchange of cash and non-cash consideration for the discharge of all Deferred Amounts and cancellation of certain General Account Surplus Notes. Refer to Note 1. Background and Business Description of this Form 10-Q and Note 1. Background and Business Description in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 for further details of the Rehabilitation Exit Transactions. Reclassifications: Reclassifications have been made to prior years' amounts to conform to the current year's presentation. Such reclassifications are primarily the result of certain new standards discussed in the Recently Adopted Accounting Standards section below. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards: Effective January 1, 2018, Ambac adopted the following accounting standards: Stock Compensation--Scope of Modification Accounting In May 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-09, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Scope of Modification Accounting. The ASU provides guidance about which changes to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award require an entity to apply modification accounting. Entities will apply the modification accounting guidance if the value, vesting conditions or classification of the award changes. The current disclosure requirements in Topic 718 apply regardless of whether an entity is required to apply modification accounting under the amendments in this ASU. The adoption of this ASU did not have an impact on Ambac's financial statements. Net Periodic Pension and Postretirement Costs In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation-Retirement Benefits (Topic 715) - Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. The objective of the ASU is to increase transparency in the reporting of net pension cost and net postretirement cost (collectively "net benefit cost"). The ASU requires that the service cost component of net benefit cost be reported on the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by employees. It further requires that the other components of net benefit costs (i.e. interest costs, amortization of prior service cost, etc.) be presented separately from the service cost component and outside the subtotal of income from operations, if one is presented. Prior to adoption of this ASU, Ambac reported all postretirement costs in Operating expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Total Comprehensive Income (Loss). Adoption of this ASU resulted in a reclassification of other non-service related costs from Operating expenses to Other income (expense) of $253 and $397 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017. Restricted Cash In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash. Prior to the effective date of this ASU, GAAP did not include specific guidance on the cash flow classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash and restricted cash flow equivalents other than limited guidance for non-for-profit entities. This ASU is intended to resolve diversity in practice in the classification of changes in restricted cash and restricted cash flow equivalents on the statement of cash flows. The ASU requires that restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning and ending period amounts on the statement of cash flows, along with certain disclosures. Adoption of this ASU resulted in the inclusion of restricted cash activity related to consolidated VIEs on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for all periods presented. Also refer to the Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information section above for the reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents, and restricted cash reported on the Consolidated Statement of Position that sum to the total of the same such amounts on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Income Taxes In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740) - Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory. Prior to the effective date of this ASU, GAAP prohibited the recognition of current and deferred income taxes for intercompany transfers of assets until the asset had been sold to an outside party. The ASU requires companies to recognize the income tax effects of intercompany sales and transfers of assets other than inventory, as income tax expense (or benefit) in the period in which the transfer occurs. The adoption of this ASU did not have an impact on Ambac's financial statements. Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments. The ASU resolves diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. Transactions addressed in the ASU that are potentially relevant to Ambac include the following:
• | Debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs - such payments will be classified as a financing cash outflow.
• | Settlement of zero-coupon debt or other debt with coupon rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing - the portion of the cash payment attributable to accreted interest will be classified as an operating cash outflow and the portion attributable to the principal will be classified as a financing cash outflow.
• | Distributions from equity-method investees - an entity will elect one of the two following approaches. Under the "cumulative earnings approach": i) distributions received up to the amount of cumulative earnings recognized will be treated as returns on investments and classified as cash inflows from operating activities and ii) distributions received in excess of earnings recognized will be treated as returns of investments and classified as cash inflows from investing activities. Under the "nature of the distribution" approach, distributions received will be classified based on the nature of the activity that generated the distribution (i.e. classified as a return on investment or return of investment), when such information is available to the investor.
• | Beneficial interests in securitization transactions - any beneficial interests obtained in financial assets transferred to an unconsolidated securitization entity will be disclosed as a non-cash investing activity. Subsequent cash receipts from the beneficial interests in previously transferred trade receivables will be classified as cash inflows from investing activities.
After further evaluating the potentially relevant items, we determined the adoption of this ASU did not have an impact on Ambac's financial statements. Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Liabilities In January 2016, the FASB issued ASC 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10) - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. The ASU makes the following targeted changes for financial assets and liabilities: i) requires equity investments with readily determinable fair values to be measured at fair value with changes recognized in net income; ii) simplifies the impairment assessment of equity securities without readily determinable fair values using a qualitative approach; iii) eliminates disclosure of the method and significant assumptions used to fair value instruments measured at amortized cost on the balance sheet; iv) requires the use of the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of instruments for disclosure purposes; v) for financial liabilities where the fair value option has been elected, requires the portion of the fair value change related to instrument-specific credit risk, to be separately reported in other comprehensive income; vi) requires the separate presentation of financial assets and liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset (liability) on the balance sheet or accompanying notes; and vii) clarifies that the evaluation of a valuation allowance on a deferred tax asset related to available-for-sale securities should be performed in combination with the entity's other deferred tax assets. With respect to item (v) above, Ambac has elected the fair value option for all VIE financial liabilities. For these VIE liabilities this ASU has resulted in a cumulative-effect reclassification of $2,900, net of deferred tax of $590, between Retained earnings and Accumulated other comprehensive income, with no net change to Total stockholders' equity as of January 1, 2018. For the six months ended June 30, 2018 and going forward, the instrument-specific credit risk of fair value changes in VIE liabilities has been and will be reported in Accumulated other comprehensive income in accordance with this ASU, with all other fair value changes continuing to be reported through net income. There was no material impact on Ambac's financial statements for the other provisions of this ASU. Revenue recognition In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) that amends the accounting guidance for recognizing revenue for contracts with customers to transfer goods and contracts for the transfer of non-financial assets unless those contracts are within the scope of other accounting standards. As this ASU does not apply to insurance contracts and most financial instruments, management determined there was no impact on Ambac's financial statements. Future Application of Accounting Standards: Equity-linked instruments with down round features In July 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-11, Earnings Per Share (Topic 260) and Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815) - Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Down Round Features. Equity-linked instruments, such as warrants and convertible instruments may contain down round features that result in the strike price being reduced on the basis of the pricing of future equity offerings. Under the ASU, a down round feature will no longer require a freestanding equity-linked instrument (or embedded conversion option) to be classified as a liability that is remeasured at fair value through the income statement (i.e. marked-to-market). However, other features of the equity-linked instrument (or embedded conversion option) must still be evaluated to determine whether liability or equity classification is appropriate. Equity classified instruments are not marked-to-market. For earnings per share ("EPS") reporting, the ASU requires companies to recognize the effect of the down round feature only when it is triggered by treating it as a dividend and as a reduction of income available to common stockholders in basic EPS. The amendments in this ASU are effective for all entities for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. Ambac will adopt this ASU on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a consequential impact on Ambac's financial statements. Premium Amortization on Callable Debt Securities In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08, Receivables-Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (Subtopic 310-20) - Premium Amortization on Purchased Callable Debt Securities. The ASU shortens the amortization period for the premium on callable debt securities to the earliest call date. Under current GAAP, a reporting entity generally amortizes the premium as a yield adjustment over the contractual life (i.e. maturity) of the debt security and if that debt security is called, the entity would record a loss equal to the unamortized premium. The ASU does not change the accounting for callable debt securities held at a discount, which will continue to be amortized to maturity. ASU 2017-08 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. The ASU must be applied on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative-effect adjustment directly to retained earnings as of the beginning of the period of adoption. Ambac will adopt this ASU on January 1, 2019 and we are evaluating its impact on Ambac's financial statements. Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326) - Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments. This ASU significantly affects how reporting entities will measure credit losses for financial assets that are not accounted for at fair value through net income, which include loans, debt securities, trade receivables, net investments in leases, and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. For financial assets measured at amortized cost, the ASU replaces the "incurred loss" model, which generally delayed recognition of the full amount of credit losses until the loss was probable of occurring, with an "expected loss" model, which reflects an entity's current estimate of all expected credit losses. Expected credit losses for amortized cost assets will be recorded as a valuation allowance, with subsequent increases or decreases in the allowance reflected in the income statement each period. For available-for-sale debt securities, credit losses under the ASU will be measured similarly to current GAAP. However, under the ASU, credit losses for available-for-sale securities will be recorded as a valuation allowance (similar to the amortized cost assets approach described above), rather than as a direct write-down of the security as is required under current GAAP. As a result, improvements to estimated credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities will be recognized immediately in the income statement rather than as interest income over time. The ASU is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as of the fiscal year beginning after December 15, 2018. Ambac has not determined whether it will early adopt this ASU and we are currently evaluating its impact on Ambac's financial statements. The significant implementation matters to be addressed include identifying the inventory of financial assets that will be affected by this standard, identifying new data requirements and data sources for implementing the expected loss model for those instruments not already using this model and identifying and documenting accounting process changes, including related controls. Leases In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The main difference between current U.S. GAAP and this ASU is the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities for those leases classified as operating leases. For operating leases, a lessee is required to: 1) recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, initially measured at the present value of the lease payments, in the balance sheet, 2) recognize a single lease cost, calculated so that the cost is allocated over the lease term generally on a straight-line basis and 3) classify all cash payment within operating activities in the statement of cash flows. The ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. The transition guidance requires lessees to recognize and measure leases at the beginning of the earliest period presented using a modified retrospective approach which include a number of optional practical expedients. We will adopt ASU 2015-02 on January 1, 2019. We are evaluating the impact of this ASU, including the transitional practical expedients, on Ambac's financial statements. We believe Ambac's office leases will be the most significantly impacted by this ASU. We have identified the preliminary inventory of leases that will be affected by this standard. Other significant implementation matters to be addressed are identifying and documenting accounting process changes, including related controls.

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