Recent Accounting Pronouncements

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Note 4. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, issued Accounting Standards Update, or ASU, No. 2015-02, Consolidation.  Among other things, this update changes how an entity determines the primary beneficiary of a variable interest entity.  This update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted.  The implementation of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires debt issuance costs to be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the associated debt liability. In August 2015, the FASB clarified the previous ASU and issued ASU No. 2015-15, Presentation and Subsequent Measurement of Debt Issuance Costs Associated with Line-of-Credit Arrangements—Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to Staff Announcement at June 18, 2015 EITF Meeting, which addresses the presentation of debt issuance costs related to line of credit arrangements. These updates are effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015 and require retrospective application. The implementation of these updates is not expected to cause any material changes to our consolidated financial statements other than the reclassification of certain debt issuance costs from assets to contra liabilities on our consolidated balance sheets.  Debt issuance costs related to our unsecured revolving credit facility will remain classified as assets in accordance with ASU No. 2015-15. When these updates are adopted, deferred financing costs of $6,025and $7,718as of December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively, will be reclassified from assets to the related debt obligations on our consolidated balance sheets.   

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue From Contracts With Customers, which outlines a comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers. This ASU states that “an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.” While this ASU specifically references contracts with customers, it may also apply to certain other transactions such as the sale of real estate.  In July 2015, the FASB approved a one year deferral of the effective date for this ASU to interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  We are continuing to evaluate this guidance; however, we do not expect its adoption to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, as a substantial portion of our revenue consists of rental income from leasing arrangements, which are specifically excluded from this ASU.

In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-16, Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments, which eliminates the requirement for an acquirer in a business combination to account for measurement-period adjustments retrospectively. Instead, acquirers must recognize measurement-period adjustments during the period in which they determine the amounts, including the effect on earnings of any amounts that would have been recorded in previous periods if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. This update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2015, with early adoption permitted.  The implementation of this update is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities, which changes how entities measure certain equity investments and present changes in the fair value of financial liabilities measured under the fair value option that are attributable to their own credit. This update is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted subject to certain conditions. We are continuing to evaluate this guidance; however, we expect the implementation of this guidance will change our accounting for our available for sale equity investments.  Currently, changes in the fair value of these investments are recorded through other comprehensive income (loss). Under this ASU, these changes will be recorded through earnings.