FASB VOTES TO PROCEED WITH FINAL STANDARD
ON RECOGNITION AND MEASUREMENT OF FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
Norwalk, CT, November 11, 2015—The Financial Accounting
Standards Board (FASB) today voted to proceed with a final Accounting
Standards Update (ASU) intended to improve and simplify the recognition
and measurement of financial instruments. A final ASU is expected to be
issued in the coming weeks.
As part of its discussion, the Board voted to permit early adoption of
the "own credit" provision in the standard. "Own credit" refers to the
accounting effect of changes in the fair value of a financial liability
due to changes in an organization´s credit risk.
Under current GAAP, companies can elect to fair value certain debt
instruments and recognize changes in fair value related to those debt
instruments in earnings. In other words, if the debt decreases in price
on the market, the liability associated with the debt would decrease
(because an organization could buy back the debt at a lower price). That
decrease currently would be reported as a gain in the income statement.
Financial statement users have told the FASB they find this result
confusing and counter-intuitive. Under the new standard, fair value
changes resulting from own credit for financial liabilities measured
under the fair value option in current GAAP will be recognized through
other comprehensive income (OCI) instead of net income.
The ASU on recognition and measurement will take effect for public
companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including
interim periods within those fiscal years. For nonpublic companies, the
standard becomes effective for fiscal years beginning after December
15, 2018, and for interim periods within fiscal years beginning after
December 15, 2019.
The FASB also voted to set the effective date of its planned guidance on
measuring credit losses. The new credit losses standard will require a
forward-looking "expected loss" approach instead of the "incurred loss"
approach in effect today. The Board expects to publish a final ASU on
credit losses in early 2016.
Public businesses that meet the definition of an SEC filer will be
required to apply the guidance for fiscal years beginning after December
15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years.
Other public businesses will be required to apply the guidance for
fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim
periods within those fiscal years.
Non-public business organizations—including private companies,
not-for-profit organizations, and employee benefit plans within the
scope of FASB guidance on plan accounting—will be required to apply the
guidance for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim
periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020.
Early application of the guidance will be permitted for fiscal years
beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within
those fiscal years.
"The upcoming standards on the recognition and measurement of financial
instruments and credit losses will bring greater transparency to
financial statements," stated FASB Chairman Russell G. Golden.
Mr. Golden added, "The Board felt it was important to decide effective
dates for both standards at the same time to ensure that we´ve
appropriately considered the impact of transitioning to those standards
on banks and other lending institutions."
More information about the FASB´s financial instruments projects and upcoming standards is available at www.fasb.org.