Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited, consolidated financial statements of SLM Corporation (“Sallie Mae,” “SLM,” the “Company,” “we,” or “us”) have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”) for interim financial information. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete consolidated financial statements. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of SLM Corporation and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been included. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Operating results for the three months ended March 31, 2022 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2022 or for any other period. These unaudited financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and related notes included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “2021 Form 10-K”).

Consolidation

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its majority-owned and controlled subsidiaries after eliminating the effects of intercompany accounts and transactions.

We consolidate any variable interest entity (“VIE”) where we have determined we are the primary beneficiary. The primary beneficiary is the entity which has both: (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance; and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses or receive benefits of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE

Business Combination

Business CombinationThe acquisition was accounted for as a business combination using the acquisition method of accounting in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB’s”) Accounting Standard Codification 805, “Business Combinations,” whereby as of the acquisition date, the acquired tangible assets and liabilities were recorded at their estimated fair values. The identifiable intangible assets were recorded at fair values as determined by an independent appraiser.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

On March 31, 2022, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2022-02, “Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures” (“ASU No. 2022-02”), which eliminates the accounting guidance for troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”) while enhancing disclosure requirements for certain loan refinancings and restructurings by creditors when a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. The enhanced disclosures are required to be provided for modifications made starting in the period of adoption. Information about modifications in periods before adoption is not required to be provided.

ASU No. 2022-02 also requires that entities disclose current-period gross charge-offs by year of origination. For entities that have adopted the amendments in ASU No. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“CECL”), the amendment is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022, including interim periods within those fiscal years.

Early adoption of the amendments in ASU No. 2022-02 is permitted if an entity has adopted CECL. The amendments should be applied prospectively. For the transition method related to the recognition and measurement of TDRs, an entity has the option to apply a modified retrospective transition method. We have elected to early adopt in all aspects ASU No. 2022-02 prospectively for the period beginning January 1, 2022. The adoption did not affect our consolidated financial statements. For additional information, see Note 4, "Allowance for Credit Losses".