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Recent Accounting Pronouncements
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of Accounting Standards Updates

Presentation of Comprehensive Income

In June 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued updated guidance to increase the prominence of items reported in other comprehensive income by eliminating the option of presenting components of comprehensive income as part of the statement of changes in shareholders’ equity.  The updated guidance requires that all non-owner changes in shareholders’ equity be presented either as a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements.  The updated guidance is to be applied retrospectively and is effective for the quarter ending March 31, 2012.  Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance resulted in a change in the presentation of the Company’s financial statements but did not have any impact on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Intangibles — Goodwill and Other: When to Perform Step 2 of the Goodwill Impairment Test for Reporting Units with Zero or Negative Carrying Amounts

In December 2010, the FASB issued updated guidance that modifies the goodwill impairment test. Under the updated guidance, goodwill is tested for impairment using a two-step process. The first step is to identify potential impairments by comparing the estimated fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds the estimated fair value, a second step is performed to measure the amount of impairment, if any. The second step is to determine the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, measured in the same manner as goodwill is recognized in a business combination, and compare the implied fair value with the carrying amount of the goodwill. If the carrying amount exceeds the implied fair value of the reporting unit’s goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized in an amount equal to that excess.

The updated guidance requires that, if the carrying amount of a reporting unit becomes zero or negative, the second step of the impairment test must be performed when it is more likely than not that a goodwill impairment loss exists. In considering whether it is more likely than not that an impairment loss exists, a company is required to evaluate qualitative factors, including the factors presented in existing guidance that trigger an interim impairment test of goodwill (e.g., a significant adverse change in business climate or an anticipated sale of a reporting unit). The provisions of the guidance were effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2010. The adoption of this guidance in January 2011 did not have any effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Deferred Acquisition Costs

In October 2010, the FASB issued updated guidance to address the diversity in practice for the accounting for costs associated with acquiring or renewing insurance contracts. This guidance modifies the definition of acquisition costs to specify that a cost must be directly related to the successful acquisition of a new or renewal insurance contract in order to be deferred. If application of this guidance would result in the capitalization of acquisition costs that had not previously been capitalized by a reporting entity, the entity may elect not to capitalize those costs. The updated guidance is effective on either a retrospective or prospective basis for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2011, with early adoption permitted as of the beginning of a company’s annual period. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this new guidance on our consolidated results of operations and financial condition.

Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Transfers and Servicing: Reconsideration of Effective Control for Repurchase Agreement

In April 2011, the FASB amended its guidance on accounting for repurchase agreements. The amendments simplify the accounting by eliminating the requirement that the transferor demonstrate it has adequate collateral to fund substantially all the cost of purchasing replacement assets. Under the amended guidance, a transferor maintains effective control over transferred financial assets (and thus accounts for the transfer as a secured borrowing) if there is an agreement that both entitles and obligates the transferor to repurchase the financial assets before maturity and if all of the following conditions previously required are met; (i) financial assets to be repurchased or redeemed are the same or substantially the same as those transferred, (ii) repurchase or redemption date before maturity at a fixed or determinable price, and (iii) the agreement is entered into contemporaneously with, or in contemplation of, the transfer.  As a result, more arrangements could be accounted for as secured borrowings rather than sales.  The updated guidance is effective on a prospective basis for interim and annual reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2011, early adoption is prohibited. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this new guidance on our consolidated results of operations and financial condition.

Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRS

In May 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance that addresses the objective of the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) to develop common requirements for measuring and for disclosing information about fair value measurements with U.S. GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”).  The FASB and the IASB worked together to ensure that fair value has the same meaning in U.S. GAAP and IFRS and that their respective fair value measurement and disclosure requirements are the same (except for minor differences in wording and style). The FASB and the IASB concluded that this guidance will improve comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and IFRS. The guidance explains how to measure fair value. This updated guidance does not require additional fair value measurements and are not intended to establish valuation standards or affect valuation practices outside of financial reporting.  The updated guidance is effective during interim and annual periods after December 15, 2011. Early application is not permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have any effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.

Intangibles — Goodwill and Other: Testing Goodwill for Impairment

In September 2011, the FASB issued updated guidance on goodwill impairment that gives companies the option to perform a qualitative assessment that may allow them to skip the annual two-step test and reduce costs. Under the new guidance, an entity has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events or circumstances, an entity determines it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. The FASB provided a sample list of events and circumstances that an entity can consider in performing its qualitative assessment. Under the amended guidance, an entity has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test and may resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. The amendments are effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted. The adoption of this guidance is not expected to have any effect on the Company’s results of operations, financial position or liquidity.