Organization, Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Organization (policy)

Organization—E*TRADE Financial Corporation is a financial services company that provides brokerage and related products and services primarily to individual retail investors under the brand "E*TRADE Financial." The Company also provides investor-focused banking products, primarily sweep deposits, to retail investors.

Basis of Presentation (policy)

Basis of Presentation—The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned subsidiaries as determined under the voting interest model. Entities in which the Company has the ability to exercise significant influence but in which the Company does not possess control are generally accounted for by the equity method. Entities in which the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence are generally carried at cost. However, investments in marketable equity securities where the Company does not have the ability to exercise significant influence over the entities are accounted for as available-for-sale equity securities. The Company also evaluates its initial and continuing involvement with certain entities to determine if the Company is required to consolidate the entities under the variable interest entity ("VIE") model. This evaluation is based on a qualitative assessment of whether the Company is the primary beneficiary of the VIE, which requires the Company to possess both: 1) the power to direct activities that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE; and 2) the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.

The Company's consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. These consolidated financial statements reflect all adjustments, which are all normal and recurring in nature, necessary to present fairly the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the periods presented. These consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015.

Beginning January 1, 2016, the Company changed its segment reporting structure to align with the manner in which the Chief Operating Decision Maker now reviews business performance and makes resource allocation decisions. As the Chief Operating Decision Maker's business performance assessments and resource allocation decisions are based on consolidated operating margin and the Company no longer has separate operating segments, the Company no longer presents disaggregated segment financial results. The Company also updated the presentation of its consolidated income statement to reflect how business performance is now measured and prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation as follows:

• interest expense related to corporate debt and interest income related to corporate cash reclassified from other income (expense) to net interest income;

• losses on early extinguishment of debt reclassified from other income (expense) to non-interest expense; and

• other income (expense) reclassified from other income (expense) to gains (losses) on securities and other.

Use of Estimates (policy)

Use of Estimates—Preparing the Company's consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and related notes for the periods presented. Actual results could differ from management’s estimates. Certain significant accounting policies are critical because they are based on estimates and assumptions that require complex and subjective judgments by management. Changes in these estimates or assumptions could materially impact the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Material estimates in which management believes changes could reasonably occur include: allowance for loan losses; asset impairment, including goodwill impairment and OTTI; estimates of effective tax rates, deferred taxes and valuation allowance; accounting for derivative instruments; and fair value measurements.

Margin receivables (policy)

Margin Receivables—Margin receivables represent credit extended to customers to finance their purchases of securities by borrowing against securities the customers own. Securities owned by customers are held as collateral for amounts due on the margin receivables, the value of which is not reflected in the consolidated balance sheet. The Company is permitted to sell or re-pledge these securities held as collateral and use the securities to enter into securities lending transactions, to collateralize borrowings or for delivery to counterparties to cover customer short positions.

The fair value of securities that the Company received as collateral in connection with margin receivables and securities borrowing activities, where the Company is permitted to sell or re-pledge the securities, was approximately $8.7 billion and $10.1 billion at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively. Of this amount, $2.3 billion and $2.5 billion had been pledged or sold in connection with securities loans and deposits with clearing organizations at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively.

New accounting and disclosure guidance (policy)

New Accounting and Disclosure Guidance—Below is the new accounting and disclosure guidance that relates to activities in which the Company is engaged.

Adoption of New Accounting Standards

Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern

In August 2014, the FASB amended the guidance related to an entity’s evaluations and disclosures of going concern uncertainties. The new guidance requires management to perform interim and annual assessments of the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year of the date the financial statements are issued, and to provide certain disclosures if conditions or events raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. The Company adopted the amended guidance for annual and interim periods beginning on January 1, 2016. The adoption of the amended guidance did not impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Consolidation

In February 2015, the FASB amended the guidance on consolidation of certain legal entities. The amended guidance modifies the evaluation of whether limited partnerships and similar legal entities are VIEs or voting interest entities, eliminates the presumption that a general partner should consolidate a limited partnership, and clarifies how to determine whether a group of equity holders has power over an entity. The Company adopted the amended guidance for annual and interim periods beginning on January 1, 2016 on a modified retrospective basis. The adoption of the amended guidance did not impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting for Customer Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement

In April 2015, the FASB amended the accounting guidance on customer fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement. The amended guidance requires that internal-use software accessed by a customer in cloud computing arrangements be accounted for as software licenses if specific criteria are met; otherwise they should be accounted for as service contracts. The Company adopted the amended guidance for annual and interim periods beginning on January 1, 2016 on a prospective basis. The adoption of the amended guidance did not impact the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

New Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted

Revenue Recognition on Contracts with Customers

In May 2014, the FASB amended the guidance on revenue recognition on contracts with customers. The new standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to apply in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. Additionally, the FASB issued supplemental amendments to the new standard to clarify the principal-versus-agent accounting guidance in March 2016 and the identification of performance obligations and accounting for licenses of intellectual property in April 2016. The amended guidance will be effective for annual and interim periods beginning on January 1, 2018 for the Company and may be applied on either a full retrospective or modified retrospective basis. While the Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new accounting guidance, the adoption of the amended guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Classification and Measurement of Financial Instruments

In January 2016, the FASB amended the accounting and disclosure guidance on the classification and measurement of financial instruments. Relevant changes in the amended guidance include the requirement that equity investments, excluding those accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those resulting in consolidation of the investee, be measured at fair value in the consolidated balance sheet with changes in fair value recognized in net income. For disclosure purposes, the Company will no longer be required to disclose the methods and significant assumptions used to estimate fair value for financial instruments measured at amortized cost in the consolidated balance sheet. The amended guidance will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning on January 1, 2018 for the Company and is required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the consolidated balance sheet on that date. While the Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new accounting guidance, the adoption of the amended guidance is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting for Leases

In February 2016, the FASB amended the guidance on accounting for leases. The new standard requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by all qualifying leases with terms of more than twelve months. The recognition, measurement and presentation of expenses and cash flows arising from a lease by a lessee remains substantially unchanged and depends on classification as a finance or operating lease. The new standard also requires additional quantitative and qualitative disclosures that provide additional information about the amounts related to leasing arrangements recorded in the financial statements. The new guidance will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning on January 1, 2019 for the Company and is required to be applied on a modified retrospective basis to the earliest period presented, which includes practical expedient options in certain circumstances. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new accounting guidance on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

Accounting for Employee Share-based Payments

In March 2016, the FASB amended the accounting guidance on employee shared-based payments. Relevant changes in the amended guidance include the requirement to recognize all excess tax benefits and deficiencies upon exercise or vesting as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement; to treat excess tax benefits and deficiencies as discrete items in the reporting period they occur; to not delay recognition of excess tax benefits until the tax benefit is realized through a reduction in current taxes payable; and to make an accounting policy election to either estimate forfeitures or account for forfeiture as they occur. The new guidance will be effective for interim and annual periods beginning on January 1, 2017 for the Company and application methods vary based on the amended guidance. Early adoption in interim periods is permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of the new accounting guidance on the Company's financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.