Organization, Business Environment and Basis of Presentation (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2017

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with the instructions of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to Form 10-Q and SEC Regulation S-X, Article 10, Rule 10-01 for interim financial statements. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for complete financial statements. In our opinion, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements contain all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation. The results of operations and other data for the three months ended March 31, 2017 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for any other interim period or for the year ending December 31, 2017. The unaudited consolidated financial statements presented herein should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in Amendment No. 1 to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Use of Estimates and Assumptions

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that management make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Such estimates and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those that relate to fair value measurements, the amortization of mortgage servicing rights, income taxes, the provision for potential losses that may arise from litigation proceedings, representation and warranty and other indemnification obligations, and our going concern evaluation. In developing estimates and assumptions, management uses all available information; however, actual results could materially differ from those estimates and assumptions.

Reclassifications

As a result of our adoption on January 1, 2017 of FASB Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Accounting for Employee Share-Based Payments, excess tax benefits have been classified along with other income tax cash flows as an operating activity in our unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows, rather than being separated from other income tax cash flows and classified as a financing activity. Additionally, cash paid by Ocwen when directly withholding shares for tax-withholding purposes has been classified as a financing activity in our unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows, rather than being classified as an operating activity.

Certain amounts in the unaudited consolidated statement of cash flows for the three months ended March 31, 2016 have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation as follows:


•	Within the operating activities section, we reclassified Net gain on valuation of mortgage loans held for investment and HMBS-related borrowings from Other to a new separate line item. In addition, we reclassified amounts related to reverse mortgages from Gain on loans held for sale, net to Other.


•	Within the financing activities section, we reclassified Proceeds from exercise of stock options to Other.

These reclassifications had no impact on our consolidated cash flows from operating, investing or financing activities.

Within the total assets section of the unaudited consolidated balance sheet at December 31, 2016, we reclassified Deferred tax assets, net to Other assets.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Recently Adopted Accounting Standard

Compensation - Stock Compensation: Improvements to Employee Shared-Based Payment Accounting (ASU 2016-09)

In addition to the reclassification matters discussed above, ASU 2016-09 requires excess tax benefits associated with employee share-based payments to be recognized through the income statement, regardless of whether the benefit reduces income taxes payable in the current period. Prior to our adoption of this standard, excess tax benefits were recognized in additional paid-in capital and were not recognized until the deduction reduced income taxes payable. Additionally, concurrent with our adoption of ASU 2016-09, we made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures when they occur, rather than estimating the number of awards that are expected to vest, as we had done prior to our adoption of this standard. Amendments requiring recognition of excess tax benefits in the income statement were adopted prospectively. Amendments related to the timing of when excess tax benefits are recognized and forfeitures were adopted using a modified retrospective transition method by means of cumulative-effect adjustments to equity as of January 1, 2017.

For the timing of the recognition of excess tax benefits, the cumulative-effect adjustment was to recognize an increase in retained earnings of $5.0 million and a deferred tax asset for the same amount. However, because we have determined that our US and USVI deferred tax assets are not considered to be more likely than not realizable, we established an offsetting full valuation allowance on the deferred tax asset through a reduction in retained earnings.

For the change in accounting for forfeitures, we recognized a cumulative-effect adjustment through a reduction of $0.3 million in retained earnings and an increase in additional paid-in capital for the same amount. We also recognized the tax effect of this adjustment through an increase in retained earnings of $0.1 million and a deferred tax asset for the same amount. However, we also fully reserved the resulting deferred tax asset as an offsetting reduction in retained earnings.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

Business Combinations: Clarifying the Definition of a Business (ASU 2017-01)

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01 to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions or disposals of assets or businesses. This standard provides a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business and also provides more consistency in applying the guidance, reduces the costs of application, and makes the definition of a business more operable. This standard will be effective for us on January 1, 2018. We do not anticipate that our adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Receivables: Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs (ASU 2017-08)

In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-08 to amend the amortization period for certain purchased callable debt securities held at a premium. This standard shortens the amortization period for the premium to the earliest call date, rather than generally amortizing the premium as an adjustment of yield over the contractual life of the instrument, as required by current GAAP. This standard will be effective for us on January 1, 2019. We do not anticipate that our adoption of this standard will have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.